388 - Selfies, Bears, and the iPhone 17 Camera

The latest In Touch With iOS with Dave he is joined by Jill McKinley, Chuck Joiner, Eric Bolden, Marty Jencius, Ben Roething. The panel covers VisionOS 26.1 immersive films, iOS/macOS/iPadOS updates, and the new digital passport in Wallet. The panel explores the Apple Watch Series 11 and SE3, the iPhone 17’s 18MP selfie camera, and AirPods Pro 3 fit quirks. They also touch on CarPlay bugs, NCAA coaches using iPads over Surface Pros, and the Disney Plus price hike. Expect both sharp insights and plenty of jokes—from hologram hosts to cable box passports.

Apple ecosystem · VisionOS 26.1 · Apple Vision Pro · Apple Watch Series 11 · Apple Watch SE3 · iPhone 17 · iPhone Air · 18MP front camera · AirPods Pro 3 · iPadOS 26 · macOS Tahoe · Disney Plus · CarPlay · NCAA iPads

 

The show notes are at InTouchwithiOS.com

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Summary

In this episode of In Touch With iOS, host David Ginsburg is joined by Jill McKinley, Marty Jencius, Ben Roethig, Chuck Joiner, and Eric Bolden for another wide-ranging Apple discussion filled with insights and laughs.

The panel kicks off with VisionOS 26.1, noting Apple’s suspicious lack of release notes and testing new immersive films like the MotoGP documentary, Red Bull’s skiing adventures, and even a BBC Proms experience. Dave also demos guest mode for Vision Pro with a co-worker, who was blown away by a Metallica immersive video.

Next, they dive into iOS 26.1, iPadOS, and macOS Tahoe updates, highlighting live translation in AirPods Pro 3, Safari tweaks, and the long-awaited digital passport in Wallet—sparking a hilarious debate about whether TSA, Minnesota, or cable companies would ever accept it.

The group then compares the Apple Watch Series 11 and SE3, praising brighter screens, sleep tracking, and health sensors, while joking that “Series 0 was basically an hourglass.” Marty even admits wearing his watch to bed for the first time.

Conversation shifts to the iPhone 17’s 18MP front camera, with its auto-rotate and zoom selfie features. Jill cracks that selfies are how people “die of bear attacks,” while Eric recalls tugging on demo phones in Apple Stores until the security cords screamed.

Other highlights include:

    •    AirPods Pro 3 fit battles (with Marty suggesting ear reshaping via screwdriver)

    •    Repairability improvements spotted in iFixit teardowns

    •    CarPlay connectivity bugs (solved with wired connections, or defended as “protection from the Cylon invasion”)

    •    NCAA teams adopting iPads over Surface Pros (“Surface: best used as a coffee stand”)

    •    Disney Plus price hikes and streaming bundle frustrations

The episode wraps with speculation about Apple’s ecosystem direction and plenty of laughs, blending serious tech analysis with classic panel humor.

Topics and Links

 

In Touch With Vision Pro this week. 

iOS & iPadOS 26.1 Beta Release Notes | Apple Developer Documentation

Here Are the New Immersive Films Coming to Apple Vision Pro 

Apple Immersive adds seven new films for Vision Pro

Dave’s experience setting up Guest mode for friend

Beta this week. 

Apple Seeds First Betas of iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, and macOS Tahoe 26.1

Everything New in iOS 26.1 Beta 1

iOS 26.1 Adds New Apple Intelligence Languages and Expands AirPods Live Translation

Apple Stops Signing iOS 18.6.2, iOS 26 Downgrades Now Impossible

In Touch With Mac this week

iPhone Mirroring on the Mac gets a key upgrade in macOS Tahoe 

Other Topics

Apple Confirms iOS 26 Wallet Passport Feature is Coming in 2025

Apple Watch Experiences 

iOS 26: Use Live Translation With AirPods

AirPods 4 vs. AirPods Pro 3 Buyer's Guide: 25 Differences Compared - MacRumors

Inside the Apple audio lab where AirPods are tested and tuned

Apple Music 5.0 update adds iOS 26 features to Android

10+ Hidden Features in iOS 26 - MacRumors

Apple Watch SE 3 Review: Premium Features Without the Premium Price

iPhone 17: Using the New Center Stage Front Camera

iPhone 17 Pro teardown reveals a repair-friendly design

iPhone Air teardown reveals that Apple's thinnest iPhone is still very repairable

iPhone Air Marty’s review and thoughts one week after. 

News

Some iPhone 17 users report Wi-Fi and CarPlay connectivity bugs

More NCAA Football Teams Using iPads for Video Replay During Games 

Disney+ Getting Another Price Hike

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Our Host

Dave Ginsburg is an IT professional supporting Mac, iOS and Windows users and shares his wealth of knowledge of iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV and related technologies. Visit the YouTube channel https://youtube.com/intouchwithios follow him on Mastodon @daveg65, , BlueSky @daveg65  and the show @intouchwithios

 

Our Regular Contributors

Jeff Gamet is a podcaster, technology blogger, artist, and author. Previously, he was The Mac Observer’s managing editor, and Smile’s TextExpander Evangelist. You can find him on Mastadon @jgamet Pixelfed @[e-mail] and Bluesky @jgamet.bsky.social‬ Podcasts The Context Machine Podcast  Retro Rewatch Retro Rewatch His YouTube channel https://youtube.com/jgamet

Marty Jencius, Ph.D., is a professor of counselor education at Kent State University, where he researches, writes, and trains about using technology in teaching and mental health practice. His podcasts include Vision Pro Files, The Tech Savvy Professor and Circular Firing Squad Podcast. Find him at [e-mail]  https://thepodtalk.net 

Eric Bolden is into macOS, plants, sci-fi, food, and is a rural internet supporter. You can connect with him by email at [e-mail], on Mastodon at @[e-mail], on his blog, Trending At Work, and as co-host on The Vision ProFiles podcast.

 

Jill McKinley works in enterprise software, server administration, and IT A lifelong tech enthusiast, she started her career with Windows but is now an avid Apple fan. Beyond technology, she shares her insights on nature, faith, and personal growth through her podcasts—Buzz Blossom & Squeak, Start with Small Steps, and The Bible in Small Steps. Watch her content on YouTube at @startwithsmallsteps and follow her on X @schmern.

Chuck Joiner is the host of MacVoices and hosts video podcasts with influential members of the Apple community. Make sure to visit macvoices.com and subscribe to his podcast. You can follow him on Twitter @chuckjoiner and join his MacVoices Facebook group.

Ben Roethig Former Associate Editor of GeekBeat.TV and host of the Tech Hangout and Deconstruct with Patrice  Mac user since the mid 90s. Tech support specialist. X @benroethig and all other social media @benroethig.   Website: https://roethigtech.com/