Last week we learned the inevitable, namely that the iPod device is finally coming to an end. We also brought up the situation with the Apple Watch and whether the Series 3 is also a bit behind. But what about Apple's most successful product of all time, the iPhone?
No need to speculate on what killed the iPod. It was, of course, the iPhone, and the last nail in the coffin was the Apple Watch. Sure, looking at the iPhone currently, there's no need to worry, it's sure to be here for some time to come. But wouldn't it want to start raising his successor after all?
Technological pinnacle
The iPhone generation has already changed its design several times. Now here we have the 12th and 13th generations, which at first glance are the same, but from the front side it has been adjusted, namely in the cutout area. This year, with the iPhone 14 generation, we should say goodbye to it, at least for the Pro versions, because Apple could replace it with two holes. Revolution? Certainly not, just a small evolution for those who don't mind the cutout.
Next year, i.e. in 2023, the iPhone 15 should arrive. On the contrary, they are increasingly expected to replace Lightning with USB-C. While this doesn't seem like a big change, it will have a really big impact, both by Apple actually taking this step and by the necessary change in its business strategy to the MFi program, which will probably revolve around MagSafe only. Recently, information has also leaked to the public that iPhones should also get rid of the SIM card slot.
Of course, all these evolutionary changes will be accompanied by a certain increase in performance, the set of cameras will certainly be improved, new functions related to the given device and the new operating system will be added. So there is still somewhere to go, but it is more about stepping on the spot than running towards a brighter tomorrow. We can't see under the hood of Apple, but sooner or later the iPhone will reach its peak, from which it will have nowhere to go.
New form factor
Of course, there may be new display technologies, better durability, better quality and smaller cameras that capture more and see further (and longer considering the amount of light). In the same way, Apple can go back to the rounded one from the square design. But it's still basically the same. It's still an iPhone that's just improved in every way.
When the first one came, it was an instant revolution in the smartphone segment. In addition, it was the company's first phone, which is why it became a success and redefined the entire market. If Apple does introduce a successor, it will still be just another phone that can't possibly have the same impact if the company keeps selling iPhones, as it probably will. But even if it happens in 10 years, what about the iPhone? Will it only get an update once every three years like the iPod touch, which only gets an improved chip, and the new device will be the main selling item?
Definitely yes. By the end of this decade, we should see a new segment in the form of AR/VR devices. But it will be so specific that it will not be widely used. It will be an addition to an existing device rather than a stand-alone device in the portfolio, similar to the original Apple Watch.
Apple has no choice but to enter the bender/folder segment. At the same time, he doesn't have to do that at all like his competition. After all, it is not even expected of him. But it's really time for him to introduce a new form factor device that iPhone users will slowly start switching to. If the iPhone reaches its technological peak, the competition will overtake it. One jigsaw puzzle after another is already being born on our market (albeit mainly the Chinese one), and the competition thus gains an appropriate lead.
This year, Samsung will launch the fourth generation of its Galaxy Z Fold4 and Z Flip4 devices worldwide. In the case of the current generation, it is not an all-powerful device, but with gradual upgrades it will one day be. And this South Korean manufacturer already has a three-year head start – not only in testing technologies, but also in how its customers behave. And this is information that Apple will simply miss.
Why should Apple have no choice but to switch to flexible mobile phones? After all, no one buys those modern phones... I saw them in people's hands maybe 3 times in the Samsung store where I had the opportunity to try the phone, I thought that a lot of water has to flow for me to buy such a stupid thing. The display is weak. It is broken in the bend and therefore the picture is also folded. Therefore, there is no question of longevity compared to a standard mobile phone. Even one of the clamshells does not take up less space than a classic mobile phone because they are usually much rougher and therefore even less practical.... Apple does not need to invent any successor because mobile phones as such will be with us for a long time... for me, the future is possibly some kind of subcutaneous chip that will project an image of augmented reality into your lens and you will control it either with your thoughts or by saying a command....
I absolutely agree
I don't think a foldable phone is the way to go, they don't sell much either and have no advantages but a lot of disadvantages. I would rather expect it to be placed on the wrist like a Pipboy or a holographic phone from a watch. Or perhaps an image transmitted to glasses/contact lenses/a chip in the eye. But as long as the battery life is as dismal as it is now, such technology is pointless.
Hard to say. Apple should try to make something foldable, I guess. But man... It's a terrible annoyance to keep opening/closing it.
I would rather believe that the iPhone will completely replace the Apple Watch than that we will see something like the "Apple iFold".