The article, updated on January 15th, was originally posted on Friday, January 13th.
Looking back at another week of news and headlines from Cupertino, this week’s Apple Loop includes the big iPhone 15 upgrade, the expensive iPhone 15 Pro, the cheap AirPods Lite, Apple’s display ambitions, mixed reality. Including that the headset will actually come out this year. The disappointment of the Mac Pro and the success of Apple’s entertainment.
The Apple Loop is here to remind you of some of the numerous discussions that have taken place around Apple over the past seven days (You can read my weekly Android news digest on Forbes.).
Apple rules your display
Apple plans to introduce uniquely designed microLED displays with the Apple Watch Ultra and other high-end wearables. Possibly intended to use the unique design in larger displays for more popular products.
“The screen upgrades the current OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) standard to a technology called MicroLED, and Apple will eventually bring the display to other devices, including the iPhone.”
Update: Sunday, January 15: Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has provided more details about Apple’s plans to introduce this new display technology into its product line. As expected, the Apple Watch series’ smaller displays, especially his premium-level Apple Watch Ultra, will debut these brighter, crisper screens before rolling out to the rest of Apple’s portfolio.
“The screen will first appear in the Apple Watch Ultra update, currently scheduled for late 2024. Then it will come to the iPhone a few years later, and one day to the iPad and Mac.”
(bloomberg).
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 7: Attendees hold the new Apple iPhone 14 Pro inside Apple. … [+]
Massive camera upgrade for iPhone 15
Apple is preparing to make big changes to its approach to iPhone cameras. The iPhone 15 family upgrades the camera to a 48-megapixel primary camera.
“…it will be a 3-pile sensor, just like its Pro predecessor. Big surprise, Pu also says the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus models will be moving to USB-C, which was initially thought to be a Pro-only upgrade.”
(forbes).
Expensive iPhone 15 Pro
Those looking to upgrade to the iPhone 15 may have hoped Apple would keep prices stable for another year, but the margins seem too tight. Be prepared for prices to rise dramatically, especially for Pro models.
“… prolific leaker LeaksApplePro adds credence to last week’s claims that Apple will “aggressively” price iPhone 15 models. The big difference is that lowering the prices of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus was supposed to mean overturning the overwhelming sales. Instead, LeaksApplePro says Apple will simply make the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 UItra more impractical. “
(forbes).
Listen to AirPods Lite
Is Apple preparing to launch a new AirPods product for $99? That’s an intriguing possibility put forward by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Forbes’ David Phelan said of the possibilities:
“Given this projected price, it seems to me that we should imagine that Apple will introduce something reasonably basic, but not necessarily as simple as the second-generation AirPods, when a budget version comes out. Clearly it will go away: Newer tech is more likely, but it won’t have the enhanced audio or other features introduced in the 3rd Gen AirPods. It’s a bit like how the SE iPhone took the previous design and updated the tech…inside.”
(forbes).
Headsets are really coming this year
The latest details on Apple’s mixed reality headset (a game-changer in the space if you read the runes correctly) are expected to be unveiled before the World Developers Conference this spring. This should give developers time to come up with at least one good reason to buy a headset.
“Apple has been rumored to announce an AR/VR headset for the last few years, but 2023 appears to be the year of the final announcement. [Bloomberg Analyst Mark] Gurman said Apple is already working with several “high-profile developers” on experiences and apps for the new headset and the xrOS operating system. Apple’s first headsets are expected to be high-end, niche offerings tailored for professionals and developers before more consumer-friendly headsets launch in the next few years. “
(McRumors).
Disappointing Mac Pro design
While waiting for the first Apple Silicon Mac Pro (a Mac Pro that Apple has hinted will arrive by the end of 2022), a powerful Mac Pro design for the office has leaked. Let’s say you get a phone call in 2019 and want your box back.
“On another disappointment, the new Mac Pro looks just like the 2019 model. It also lacks one of the key features of the Intel version: user-upgradeable RAM. Because it is directly connected to the motherboard of the , it still has two SSD storage slots and [spaces] For graphics, media, and network cards. “
(via Mark Garman McRumors).
And finally…
Apple continues to make waves in the entertainment industry in 2022 and is quick to point to its success stories. Across Apple services, he says there are 900 million subscriptions, many avid consumers are looking for content.
“When we launched Apple TV+ a few years ago, we did it to tell stories that reflected our broader humanity, and either CODA won Best Picture or Ted Russo won. Whether it’s comedy award winner Ted Lasso or not, we saw in so many ways the legitimacy of this kind of storytelling and a strong desire to tell more of it.”
Apple Loop brings you 7 days worth of highlights every weekend here on Forbes. Don’t forget to follow me for future coverage. You can read last week’s Apple Loop hereAlso This week’s issue of Android Circuit, Loop’s sister column, is also featured on Forbes.
