This Week’s Top 5 Stories in Technology
Apple Puts iPhone AI Hardware, Not Features, in Focus
For many, Apple's annual September event at Apple Park is the tech highlight of their year.
As always, this year’s installment was framed around new iPhones and updated accessories – but beneath the consumer spectacle were clearly defined signals about Apple’s enterprise strategy.
For businesses, network operators and the wider technology ecosystem, the latest iPhone portfolio reinforces Apple’s role as both a hardware innovator and a central player in the gradual adoption of AI-capable smartphones.
On 9 September, Apple unveiled the new iPhone 17 Air, Apple’s thinnest-ever smartphone at just 5.6mm.
While early commentary focused on aesthetics and consumer resale appeal, analysts argue its significance reaches beyond style.
Ben Wood, Chief Analyst at CCS Insight, says: “It has been a few years since Apple has had new iPhones that you could put on the table in a coffee shop, meeting room or pub, and people would ask, ‘Is that the new iPhone?’
“With the iPhone 17 Air and the redesigned iPhone 17 Pro models, particularly the bright orange variant, Apple is delivering products that will create renewed interest.”
For operators and enterprise mobility providers, that interest matters.
Ben says that the Air “feels differentiated enough that people would consider visiting a store to see it in person”, presenting new opportunities for upsell, trade-ins and contract upgrades at a time when device refresh cycles are growing longer.
“With more than 40% of iPhone users in mature markets opting for Pro models, according to CCS Insight, the corporate fleet segment is likely to see further migration toward premium devices that promise greater longevity and higher performance,” he adds.
On pricing, Apple has selectively increased costs on Pro editions alone, a tactic Ben says “likely reflects the ongoing competitive intensity of the smartphone market and Apple’s desire to keep the pressure on rivals, most notably Samsung”.
For enterprises managing large device fleets, this signals limited cost escalation on base models while premium upgrades climb to reflect demand.
Jaguar Land Rover Confirms Data Theft in Cyber Attack
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has confirmed that the massive cyber incident disrupting its operations has also led to the theft of company data.
The breach, which forced factory closures across the UK and abroad, epitomises the growing cybersecurity threats facing global manufacturers.
“The confirmation that data has been compromised, alongside severe disruption to its operations, should come as no surprise,” says Dr Darren Williams, Founder and CEO of BlackFog, a leader in ransomware prevention and Anti Data Exfiltration (ADX).
“JLR is still working hard to restore its systems and, while it has yet to confirm the nature and amount of data impacted in the attack, customers should be vigilant.”
Kyndryl Study: Mainframe Projects Triple Investment Returns
Mainframe modernisation projects now deliver returns of between 288% and 362% on investment, according to research published by Kyndryl.
The technology services provider’s third annual State of Mainframe Modernization Survey questioned 500 business and IT leaders about their infrastructure strategies and found that costs have decreased whilst returns have increased across different modernisation approaches.
The study indicates that 80% of organisations have altered their mainframe modernisation strategies within the past year. These changes respond to market dynamics, geopolitical developments, regulatory requirements and emerging technologies.
“The mainframe has become the AI-fueled catalyst of hybrid enterprise strategies, delivering billion-dollar returns while powering innovation for customers,” says Hassan Zamat, Global Practice Leader for Core Enterprise at Kyndryl. “Organisations are taking a much more pragmatic approach to modernisation to drive better business outcomes and incorporate new technologies.”
The research reveals that modernisation costs vary depending on the chosen approach. Projects that modernise applications on existing mainframe infrastructure, integrate with cloud platforms or migrate workloads to alternative systems each produce different ROI calculations within the reported range.
Workday AI Research Reveals Enterprise Talent Drain Crisis
Workday has released research revealing a talent crisis within organisations, with high performers departing at increasing rates whilst internal career mobility stagnates.
The company’s Global Workforce Report, based on data from hundreds of millions of anonymised transactions, identifies three challenges facing organisations as they navigate AI implementation and workforce management.
The research, ‘The Hidden Talent Drain: Reinvesting in Employee Growth to Unlock Your AI Advantage,’ draws from Workday Recruiting, HiredScore, Workday Peakon Employee Voice and Workday People Analytics platforms. The data covers multiple industries and employee segments globally, providing insights into current workforce dynamics.
High performers departed companies with increasing frequency across 75% of industries during the previous year. This trend has expanded, with attrition rates rising across 100% of industries in the current period. Retail experienced the most significant increase at 64%, followed by healthcare at 28%. Organisations now require more than 30 days to fill over half of open positions, with a quarter extending beyond 60 days.
PwC: Semiconductor Fab Investment to Hit US$1.5tn by 2030
The semiconductor industry is witnessing its largest construction boom in history, as AI workloads and electric vehicle adoption drive unprecedented demand for advanced chips.
To meet this demand, global fabrication facilities will require investment exceeding US$1.5tn between 2024 and 2030, according to PwC’s Semiconductor & Beyond 2026 report: a figure matching the total investments made across the previous two decades.
According to SEMI data, 18 new fab construction projects are expected to start in 2025 with the majority beginning operations from 2026 to 2027. Government intervention has sparked what PwC describes as a transformative period, with the US CHIPS Act alone driving more than US$630bn in semiconductor supply chain investments across 28 states.
The scale of current commitments is staggering. Texas Instruments announced in June 2025 its plans to invest more than US$60bn across seven US semiconductor fabs: the largest investment in foundational semiconductor manufacturing in US history. Intel, the biggest recipient of the Biden administration’s CHIPS Act with US$7.86bn in direct funding plus an additional US$3bn for secure government manufacturing, plans to invest over US$100bn across four states.
Glenn Burm, Global Semiconductors Leader and Partner at PwC US, says: “The industry is currently undergoing a rapid transformation, driven by AI advancements, geopolitical shifts and increased government investments.”
