Home · Technology · Sep 9 archive
Read the Apple document explaining how new listening features still protect your privacy
Confirmed
In Short: Apple has introduced new iPhone models with a custom-designed C2 modem, but the company is also expanding its listening features on the Apple Watch, raising privacy concerns.
Apple has unveiled its new iPhone 18 Pro models and the iPhone Duo, the company's first foldable iPhone, at its 'Surprise and Shine' event. The new devices feature Apple's custom-designed C2 modem, which supports 5G connectivity, including mmWave in the U.S., according to reports.
However, the real surprise at the event was not the foldable iPhone, but the expansion of Apple's listening features on the Apple Watch. The company introduced a new feature called 'Live Rewind,' which allows the watch to process live audio and transcribe what was said, potentially recording conversations without the wearer's explicit consent.
According to reports from TechCrunch, Apple suggests that 'Live Rewind' could be used to remember things like a 'book recommendation, a colleague’s brilliant idea, or something you didn’t hear the first time.' However, this feature has raised concerns about privacy, as it means that you can essentially catch anyone saying something they didn’t necessarily mean to have recorded.
Apple has acknowledged that privacy will be one of the first questions people have about the new feature. The company claims that the watch needs to have access to preceding few seconds of audio to transcribe what was said, but this has led to speculation about the extent of the recording capabilities.
TechCrunch notes that Apple is straddling the line between accessibility and utility on one side, and what starts to feel like invasive technology on the other. The company is trying to get consumers to accept, and even welcome, a new reality where their tech is always listening. This move has been met with mixed reactions, with some praising the potential utility of the feature and others expressing concerns about privacy.
Meanwhile, both the iPhone 18 Pro and the iPhone Duo feature the N1, an Apple-designed wireless networking chip that enables Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread support. The C2 modem, on the other hand, brings AI-powered improvements to cellular quality and reliability, according to Apple.
What's still developing
- Wouldn’t it be a little creepy if I told you the watch on your wrist could rewind the last 15 seconds of your life?
- Apple announced the feature alongside the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 today, and despite the slightly creepy premise, it’s easy to imagine situations where it could be genuinely useful.
- And that’s really what this feature comes down to: how much convenience you’re willing to exchange for that unsettling feeling of knowing your watch remembers what was just said.
- Prior to today's announcements, there was speculation that Apple's C2 in-house modem would not support mmWave 5G in the U.S., and that the company would once again rely on Qualcomm to fill the gap for American carriers.
- Apple's press release for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max and the tech specs page for the two models appear to indicate that the C2 modem is limited to only the smaller iPhone 18 Pro model, leaving the iPhone 18 Pro Max on Qualcomm modems.
- Disrupt 2026: OpenAI, Anthropic, Replit, and more take over 6 industry stages. 25% off tickets now Back by popular demand: Save up to $300 on Disrupt Apple is trying to get consumers to accept, and even welcome, a new reality: Your tech is always listening.