Taking a look back at another week of news and headlines from Cupertino, this week’s Apple Loop includes the boring iPhone 16, problems with iOS 17.3, the missing iPads, using the smallest MacBook Pro, App Store Antitrust news, and when Apple will talk about AI.
Apple Loop is here to remind you of a few of the very many discussions that have happened around Apple over the last seven days (and you can read my weekly digest of Android news here on Forbes).
The Problem Of A Boring iPhone 16
A recent analyst report from Braclays sums up the current known changes to the iPhone 16, and they see very little that Apple will bring to 2024’s new iPhone that will help it stand out against the current iPhone 15 family:
“Barclays writes, “After a two-year period with better than trend upgrade rate, we see 2023 and 2024 as mean reversion years.” It also said, “AAPL remains a very strong ecosystem, moving from Mac-driven to iPhone-driven over the last decade,” Long wrote. “We believe there is less ecosystem pull-through with new products/services, which will make growth harder over the next several years.””
(Forbes).
iOS 17.3 Crashing Developers’ iPhones
Apple’s latest version of iOS is working through the beta phase, and it’s had to be halted. iOS 17.3 has massive bugs, causing it to lock up iPhones.
“Normally, the public beta of the iOS 17.3 software would be expected to follow in the next day or so after the developer beta, but if it turns out the issue is widespread, that will probably be delayed. It’s even possible the developer beta could be withdrawn until the issue is solved.”
And as the narrator would say, yes, the developer beta has been withdrawn.
(Forbes).
Where Were The iPads?
2023 at least saw one record notched up by Apple, although it’s not positive. The iPad range was content in the sense that it was not refreshed at all.
“From its debut in 2010, the iPad has been an important product for Apple and the clear tablet market leader, releasing at least one new model every year. In recent times, the company has released as many as four new iPad models per year. Before 2023, 2009 was the last year with no new iPads, simply because the product line had not yet launched.”
(MacRumors).
Using The Smallest Mac
One of the most significant issues many noted with the awkward M3 MacBook Pro was its reliance on just 8 GB of RAM for the expensive entry-level model. is it enough? Brady Snyder decided to find out.
“The average person might find 8GB of memory to be enough as long as they don’t do graphics-heavy work. Realistically, people doing 3D rendering or video editing aren’t considering a base-model Mac anyway, so this isn’t much of a knock against these computers. The problems really start when you think about the Mac’s ability to stay relevant and capable over time. Memory demands are increasing in perpetuity, and I don’t think 8GB of memory will be enough a few years down the road. “
(XDA Developers).
The New Vision Of The Vision Pro
Apple will bring the Vision Pro headset to market this year. But when? The latest Apple Vision Pro guesstimate on retail sales commencing, at least for now, is in the last week of January:
“Wall Street Insights… clearly says that the launch is set to occur on a date that falls on a Saturday in the United States, there is a chance that the website is actually referring to January 27 in China, which falls on Friday, January 26 in the United States – a much more likely date for the launch of the Vision Pro.”
(MacRumors).
Apple And The US Antitrust Case
The long-running investigation into Apple by the US Department of Justice is close to reporting on the issue of the App Store as the lone distribution method of providing apps to the iPhone, and the thoughts of many are that Apple will have to permit either side-loading of apps or allow third-party app stores.
“…Microsoft is expected to be one of the first companies to open a third-party app store for iOS apps, and it’s likely that a number of major games companies will do the same. Games account for around half of Apple’s App Store revenue.”
(9to5Mac).
And Finally…
If everyone is talking about AI smartphones, then when will Apple enter the conversation? How about June’s Worldwide Developer Conference?
“At this point, guesswork is probably enough. It would be both surprising and depressing if Apple didn’t choose this year to make some substantial generative AI improvements to Siri. We’ve noted before that Apple has to exercise particular care here, but 2024 feels like time.”
(Yeux1122 via 9to5 Mac).
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.
