Looking back on another week of Cupertino news and headlines, this week’s Apple Loop includes leaked iPhone 15 Pro specs, Apple confirms USB-C future, macOS launch 13, the stunning 16-inch iPad Pro, Apple Music prices are rising, and Apple reveals eye-popping Q4 numbers.
Apple Loop is here to remind you of some of the many, many discussions that have taken place around Apple over the past seven days (and you can read my weekly Android news roundup here on Forbes).
iPhone 15 Pro specs should improve
With the long lead time for consumer electronics production, it’s no surprise that details of the next iPhone are out. It also shouldn’t be too surprising that the specs are upped. And it’s also no surprise that the narrow 6GB limits of the iPhone 14 Pro are extended to 8GB:
“TrendForce expects the 15 Pro models to come with an additional 8GB of RAM to complement the A17 chip, compared to 6GB for the iPhone 14 Pro models. Standard models will likely continue to have 6GB of RAM.”
(MacRumors).
The USB-C future of the iPhone
That might not be the only big change coming to the iPhone 15. Following European Union legislation, Apple will be forced to ship at least one version of the iPhone 15 with USB-C to instead of the Lightning port so they can be sold. in Europe… although this may not require changing the entire portfolio:
“…Greg Joswiak, Vice President of Worldwide Marketing for Apple, has confirmed that Apple will follow the new European Union law mandating the use of USB-C on all smartphones sold in its member countries. starting in fall 2024. But that might not be the end of the Lighting port on iPhones.”
(Forbes).
This is Apple’s MacOS 13
We may not have a new MacBook Pro (yet), but MacBook owners are getting an upgrade with the launch of the next version of macOS, ready to install worldwide, after the period usual test after WWDC. What is worth noting are not the leaps forward but the steps taken to homogenize the Apple ecosystem:
“Overwhelmingly, the new features in macOS just help it keep pace with what’s happening on the iPhone and iPad. This seems doubly true in Ventura, where a basic system app has been rewritten to from scratch to mirror its iOS counterpart, where a new window management functionality is similarly implemented on the iPad, and where new apps and updates to old ones are increasingly just apps iPad running in macOS windows.”
(Ars Technica).
Go big and go iPad
Will Apple supersize the iPad Pro lineup and deliver a 16-inch tablet by the end of next year? There are certainly indications that such a device is in the works. As with any device, there are many iterations, and not all of them make it to market, but if Apple wants your next computer to be not a computer but an iPad, having a really big screen would be a good thing ( so expensive) option:
“Samsung dazzled the industry earlier this year by announcing the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, a 14.6-inch tablet. It would have served as an ideal laptop replacement if it hadn’t run One UI, a operating designed for smartphones.Apple wants a Samsung and will introduce an even larger iPad next year.According to a report from The Information, a 16-inch iPad will be launched in the fourth quarter of 2023. The tablet could be unveiled alongside of the 14-inch iPad Pro mentioned in previous leaks.”
(Laptop verification).
Apple subscription prices are rising
Apple announced a price hike for Apple Music, Apple TV+ and Apple One users, citing licensing fees that must be paid to rights holders. Yet, you have all your favorite playlists, mood boards, and artists locked in Apple Music. You’re not going to give up your curated lists for a little price hike, are you?
“Apple cited the recent increase in licensing fees. Apple Music and its competitors will have to pay 15.35% of music revenue to songwriters and publishing rights holders starting next year, an increase 0.25% from the current rate and almost 5% more than the old one.But at $10.99, Apple’s service is now more expensive than Amazon Music, which costs $8.99 per month, and Spotify, which has been stuck at $9.99 a month for over a decade.
(Hot Pod / The Verge).
And finally…
Apple’s fourth quarter revenue report is here. It shows an 8% year-over-year increase in revenue to $90 billion, with net profit up 1% to $20.7 billion. Unlike other Silicon Valley results, Apple is keeping its ship steady:
“Apple isn’t as affected as we were originally in terms of consumer demand,” said Daniel Morgan, senior portfolio manager at Synovus Trust Co., which counts Apple among its biggest holdings. “You could argue that consumer demand is healthy based on these growth rates.”
(The Wall Street Journal).
Apple Loop brings you seven days 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.
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