This week on AI: Apple's TV app 'channels,' 2018 iPhone rumors, iMac turns 20 & more

AppleInsider

Rumors about 2018 iPhones continued to mount this week, but there was plenty of ammunition for other headlines -- such as Apple's plans for selling third-party video subscriptions.

To keep up on the latest in the Apple world, download the official AppleInsider app, and subscribe to our email newsletter.

Everything you need to know:

• You may soon be able to pay for streaming video plans through Apple's "TV" app for iPhones, iPads, and the Apple TV > >
• 2019 iPhones could be equipped with triple-lens cameras > >
• Through smaller bezels, this year's 6.5-inch iPhone may only be as big as the iPhone 8 Plus > >
• Apple is scrapping its $1 billion Irish data center > >
• We could soon get...an Apple Pay credit card? > >
• The iMac is 20 years old > >
• iOS 11.4 may defeat more police searches > >

For in-depth discussion of this week's hottest stories, listen to the AppleInsider podcast. Subscribe here, or stream the embed below:

A roundup of all of our hottest stories this week:

Apple to sell third-party streaming service subscriptions through 'TV' app, report says

iPhone with triple-lens camera system could arrive with fall 2019 refresh

Rumor: 6.5-inch OLED iPhone roughly same size as iPhone 8 Plus, iOS 12 supports horizontal Face ID

$1 billion Apple data center project in Athenry, Ireland cancelled

Apple in conversations with Goldman Sachs to launch Apple Pay branded credit card

20 years ago, the iMac changed the world

Berkshire Hathaway and Warren Buffett not done with Apple stock, 'would love to own 100 percent'

Apple performing in-store iPhone X replacements for troublesome Face ID issues

Apple agrees to settlement in shareholder derivative complaint over e-book antitrust case

Apple's iOS 11.4 update with 'USB Restricted Mode' may defeat tools like GrayKey

'Black Dot' Unicode bug crashes iOS Messages with invisible characters

Apple opens first developer academy in Indonesia

Valve Steam Link for iOS and tvOS brings desktop games to Apple devices

Apple drone project in North Carolina selected for approval by U.S. DOT

Rumor: 6.1-inch iPhone will use LG display found in G7 ThinQ

US DOJ sides with Apple over App Store antitrust allegations in Supreme Court brief

Net neutrality ends June 11, Senate Democrats force last-minute vote

Apple invests $10 million in carbon-free aluminum production project

Microsoft Windows team wants iMessage on Windows devices

'Secure Data Act' would block US from demanding backdoors in Apple's iPhone

eideard

Cable cutting is all the eage, now. For good reason. We left DirecTV after 22 years over simple economics. What drives me nuts is that so much SOP disappeared because in the course of reinventing the wheel, the non-TV geeks never learned it has to be round.

We use Playstation VUE as our primary source. The only offering that understands what DVRs did for time-shifting. We watch nothing streamed live but sports. Vue gives us automatic recording for every program for a month. No extra charge. But, even a simple item - available with sat or cable - a button press to check present time is missing.  And I’m not asking Siri if it requires using Apple’s incredibly imprecise crap remote.

Yes, we also have minimal SLING because of channels Sony apparently thinks no one wants to subscribe to.  In any package. But, the overall availability on Vue is pretty basic and can be expanded.  Cripes!  Apple could just turn Jony Ive loose on Vue’s archaic interface, sort a few loose ends, and start printing money.

Or they could trundle into the usual Silicon Valley ego trip; roll out some nerd’s reinvention of the wheel - forgetting the round bit - and take 2 years of “upgrades” to get to simple, useful, smooth and quick.