Coding
Shopify drops React Native for Swift and Kotlin
Shopify is rebuilding its apps in Swift and Kotlin 6 years after going all-in on React Native. Coding agents did enough of the porting to change the math.
iOS news and analysis
Apple's mobile platform news: iOS and Xcode releases, Swift language updates, App Store review decisions, and the reportedly split iPhone 18 launch. Each story separates what Apple has shipped or ruled on from what is still rumor, with version numbers and dates.
Dev Stack
iOS 27.2 gives EU apps an alternative tracking prompt
The new prompt is mandatory in 5 EU countries and optional elsewhere. It drops the word track, and developers may ask again after a year.
Coding
Swift 6.4 ships async defer and makes Swift Build default
Swift 6.4 lands async code in defer blocks, module selectors, and a 40x faster WebAssembly bridge, with Swift Build now the default in the package manager.
Dev Stack
iOS 27 ships with Xcode 27 and no dropped iPhones
Apple shipped six platform updates on September 14, 2026, claiming app launches up to 30% faster, and iPhone 11 still makes the cut.
New & Next
Apple splits the iPhone 18 launch: Pro this fall, the rest in 2027
Apple will reportedly split the iPhone 18 launch for the first time since iPhone 11: Pro and foldable models arrive this September, the standard 18 waits for 2027.
Tech Industry
Apple rejects astronomy app Dark Hours for 'astrology' - twice
Apple rejected Terry Godier's astronomy app Dark Hours as astrology, and its App Review Board upheld the call citing a tarot feature the app doesn't have.
The daily brief
Three to five stories a day, and what each one means for the people who build software. Free, no spam.