Exclusive Interview with Sam Kohl (AppleTrack): His Vision on AppleTrack, iPhone 17, and the Apple Event

¡Hey! Soy Jose, Founder of AppleX4. Apasionado por la tecnología y el universo Apple. Aquí me tomo el tiempo de pensar distinto y compartir lo que realmente importa

Getting to Know Sam Kohl

The world of Apple never stops. Every week brings new leaks, rumors, and speculation — but very few people manage to turn all that noise into a clear and engaging story. That’s exactly what Sam Kohl has done. From his early days on YouTube with iupdate, he went on to create AppleTrack, a platform that has become one of the most trusted and visited sources for Apple rumors and news worldwide.

In the past few weeks, his official account @appltrack has set the agenda: from the leaked iPhone 17 colors, including a striking orange, to the rumored iPhone 17 Air, expected to be Apple’s thinnest iPhone yet. He has also kept the community buzzing about the upcoming Apple Event, widely expected on September 9, where new iPhones, the Apple Watch Series 11, and AirPods Pro 3 could all debut.

But Sam isn’t only about AppleTrack. On his personal account @iupdate, he shows a more unfiltered side: talking about his iPhone 16 Pro battery health dropping after a few months, sharing opinions on the Liquid Glass redesign in iOS 26, or pointing out when Tim Cook looked more nervous than usual on stage. That blend of creator and everyday user is what makes his perspective stand out in today’s Apple community.

On the eve of Apple’s most anticipated keynote of the year, we spoke with Sam Kohl in this exclusive AppleX4 interview to discover not only the story behind AppleTrack, but also his personal vision of Apple in 2025.

Interview with Sam Kohl

For readers who might only know you through Apple rumors and videos, who is Sam Kohl outside of AppleTrack? What are some personal interests or daily habits that define you beyond the Apple world?

Recently I’ve become ridiculously addicted to pickleball and it’s something I now play 2-3 days a week. Because YouTube is pretty isolating (you just kind of work alone all day) going out and being active is what keeps me sane. I also try to be pretty consistent at the gym and I’m one of those people that also enjoys running. Outside of fitness and tech, I really love music and have been working on something there for a while.

AppleTrack is now one of the most recognized sources for Apple news and rumors, but it all started years ago with iupdate. Can you take us back to the moment when you first thought of creating it? What was the spark that inspired you to turn it into the AppleTrack brand?

I credit nearly all of AppleTrack brand success to COVID-19. It was one of those ideas I had for tracking rumors and sources that could’ve only happened at a time when we were all stuck inside and looking for something else to do. I still remember the day that I launched it and was shocked at how well it was initially received. Changing the name of my YouTube channel 3 times in my career is pretty wild when I think about it and I’m grateful people have followed all the way through until now.

You recently shared that your iPhone 16 Pro battery health started to decline after months of use. From your perspective as both a creator and a user, what’s the one improvement Apple should prioritize to truly improve the daily experience for real users?

I think battery just continues to be somewhat of afterthought on iPhone and I don’t know why. I genuinely think that if Apple changed nothing else year over year but made the battery twice as good, people would buy it. I hate charging my phone before the end of the day and I’m hopeful that this year on the iPhone 17 Pro they will finally crack it.

When the alleged iPhone 17 Pro prototype surfaced, you called it “one of the craziest leaks of all time.” What was your first reaction when you saw it, and how do you personally decide which leaks are credible enough to feature on AppleTrack?

I still can’t believe someone was at the right place, at the right time, to take a photo of a real prototype iPhone 17 Pro being tested in the public. It’s one of those once-in-a-decade leaks that just has to be real because it’s too insane to not be. My general “test” for whether or not a leak is real is to sit on it for a few minutes (minimum) before sharing everything. That gives me enough time to remove any initial excitement or shock factor and really look at what was shared. Is it realistic? Is it consistent with other rumors? Is it from a trusted source? These are some of the key questions I ask myself when I’m trying to decipher whether or not something is authentic. I have a really high bar for what I share to my audience because I want to share the most accurate, highest quality information possible. I’d rather be late than wrong.

AppleTrack recently highlighted the iPhone 17 dummy models in new colors, including orange. In your view, how much do design details like color influence the success of an iPhone, and how much is simply about building hype before the official launch?

I’ve said this for a while—I think people underestimate how much iPhone colors matter. And I genuinely believe the “right” color for someone could make or break them upgrading. Like, the new orange color for this year looks wack to me and isn’t my style at all, but I know there will be sizable number of buyers that want that specifically. Colors add so much hype because it makes anything new instantly recognizable.

On your personal account you mentioned that Tim Cook looked unusually nervous in a recent clip. How do you see him today as Apple’s leader, especially compared to the Apple you started covering years ago?

Oh man. I’ll definitely say that my love for Tim Cook has started to waver a bit, especially in recent years. I don’t have enough time to fully answer this question because it’s a big one…but with the failure of Apple Vision Pro and Apple Intelligence back to back…it should make anyone question who is steering the ship. I think, overall, that Cook is still an incredible CEO and his first decade was just kind of unmatched. He took Apple from a small tech company to a titan and changed the world. But recently? I’m not sure Cook knows where to take Apple now. I see him as an executor and not a visionary.

The date of Apple’s next big event hasn’t been officially confirmed, though many expect it to happen on September 9. Do you think that timing makes sense, and what are your personal expectations for what Apple will reveal on stage — beyond the iPhone 17 lineup?

I’m really hoping we get reverse wireless charging on the iPhone 17 Pro. There have been times where I’m at the gym and I forgot to charge my AirPods and it ruins my workout because I’m just raw-dogging the lift. If I could pop them on the back of my iPhone and in 5 minutes they are ready to go? That would be so useful. I also hope we see the rumored AirPods Pro 3 with new health features because I’ve been hyped for a temperature sensor that could work as a thermometer for years.

Closing Thoughts

More than just a rumor aggregator, Sam Kohl has become a translator of the Apple universe — someone who organizes scattered leaks, provides context, and turns speculation into a conversation that the Apple community loves to follow. His voice, a balance between passionate fan and professional creator, has made AppleTrack a must-read platform for anyone curious about the future of Apple.

As we publish this interview just one day before the September Apple Event, with the spotlight on the iPhone 17 and the Apple Watch Series 11, one thing is certain: tomorrow Apple will tell its story on stage, but voices like Sam’s help us understand — and feel — that story even before Tim Cook steps into the spotlight.