Taking a look back at this week’s news and headlines from Apple, including a disappointing iPhone leak, iPhone 16 specs, Apple’s surprising AI partner, delayed iPads, DoJ starts anti-trust lawsuit, EU questions Core Technology Fee, and the next generation Apple Vision headset.
Apple Loop is here to remind you of a few of the many discussions around Apple in the last seven days. You can also read my weekly digest of Android news here on Forbes.
Disappointment At Future iPhone Decision
Smartphones are focused on offering larger displays, smaller bezels, and more screen real estate. For many, that means an under-screen selfie camera is needed to maximise the pixels. Apple has reportedly been looking at this, but it seems like the design of the iPhone 16 (and possibly the iPhone 17 and 18) will, frustratingly, remain more evolutionary rather than revolutionary:
“At the 2024 Korea Display Conference, it’s reported, a market researcher named Kang Min-soo said that two predicted innovations, a folding iPhone and under-panel Face ID will come later than expected. Much later, in fact. “We believe that the underpanel technology, which was originally planned to be applied in 2024, will only be applied in 2027,”, he said. Which would mean it would arrive for the iPhone 19 Pro, should Apple continue the same nomenclature by that time.”
(Forbes).
iPhone 16 Looks For Thinner Advantage
One part of the display that does look likely to change when the iPhone 16 family is launched later this year will be the bezels, specifically the smaller size of the bezels offering the aforementioned increase in real estate:
“According to Seoul-based current affairs publication, Sisa Journal-E, Apple is about to achieve its thinnest bezels yet, and do so across the whole of the iPhone 16 range. No specific measurements have been revealed, but the publication says that Apple is using the “ultra-thin” Border Reduction Structure (BRS) technology.”
(Apple Insider).
Apple’s AI Announcement Coming Soon
While Android smartphone manufacturers have leapt ahead with on-device AI, Apple has been quiet about the plans for the iPhone. Part of that will be down to iOS releases that will arrive at June’s WWDC. So this year’s WWDC will be Apple’s first opportunity to reveal its plans:
“Apple and Google are in active negotiations for Apple to license Google’s Gemini AI engine, to build it into iOS 18. As Gurman says, this sets the stage, “for a blockbuster agreement that would shake up the AI industry.” And Apple also has its own, in-house generative AI models, which are expected to be the cornerstone of iOS 18. “Those enhancements will be focused on features that operate on its devices, rather than ones delivered via the cloud,” Gurman says. “So Apple is seeking a partner to do the heavy lifting of generative AI, including functions for creating images and writing essays based on simple prompts.”
(Bloomberg via Forbes).
No iPads Just Yet
The expected March launch of some new iPads looks to be delayed. With Apple favouring a Tuesday for its major proclamations, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has shot down the 26th of March, instead highlighting an arrival date further into April:
“…saying that the “variant of iPadOS 17.4” that will ship on the new iPad models won’t be ready until at least late this month, with it potentially taking “a couple weeks” to get the software installed on the initial shipments. That timing, Gurman says, will likely take things “deeper into next month” for a launch of the new iPads although an announcement could happen a bit sooner.”
(Power On via MacRumors).
Apple Faces US Anti-trust Lawsuit
The long-expected anti-trust lawsuit against Apple by the Department of Justice was filed this week (PDF Link). The 88-page document alleges Apple has operated an illegal monopoly with the iPhone. David McCabe and Rip Mickle cover the filing for the NY Times:
“…the government argued that Apple had violated antitrust laws with practices that were intended to keep customers reliant on their iPhones and less likely to switch to a competing device. The tech giant prevented other companies from offering applications that compete with Apple products like its digital wallet, which could diminish the value of the iPhone, and hurts consumers and smaller companies that compete with it, the government said.
(New York Times).
In a statement seen by MacRumors, Apple writes, “[the lawsuit is] wrong on the facts and the law:”
At Apple, we innovate every day to make technology people love—designing products that work seamlessly together, protect people’s privacy and security, and create a magical experience for our users. This lawsuit threatens who we are and the principles that set Apple products apart in fiercely competitive markets. If successful, it would hinder our ability to create the kind of technology people expect from Apple—where hardware, software, and services intersect. It would also set a dangerous precedent, empowering government to take a heavy hand in designing people’s technology. We believe this lawsuit is wrong on the facts and the law, and we will vigorously defend against it.
(Apple, via MacRumors).
Apple’s Core Technology Fee Questioned
Apple continues to face criticisms of its approach to the European Union’s Digital Markets Act, which allows consumers to install their choice of apps from outside of the Apple Store. This week, the EU Antitrust Chief warned Apple over its use of the Core Technology Fee that forces developers to pay Apple when their app is installed from outside the Apple Store:
“There are things that we take a keen interest in, for instance, if the new Apple fee structure will de facto not make it in any way attractive to use the benefits of the DMA. That kind of thing is what we will be investigating,” she told Reuters in an interview.”
(Reuters).
And Finally…
The Pro in the Apple Vision Pro title always suggested that a vanilla version would be coming to consumers at some point, featuring a significantly cheaper headset. How much of a discount? More than half:
“Apple is aiming to cut the cost of the Apple Vision Pro from $3,500 down to as low as $1,500, according to a new report… How? Apple’s apparently going back to the drawing board when it comes to one of the headset’s most expensive components: its two 4K micro-OLED displays.
(The Elec via Tom’s Guide).
Apple Loop brings you seven days worth of highlights every weekend here on Forbes. Don’t forget to follow me so you don’t miss any coverage in the future. Last week’s Apple Loop can be read here, or this week’s edition of Loop’s sister column, Android Circuit, is also available on Forbes.
