At a recent Far Out event, Apple unveiled off its new iPhone 14, a new generation of AirPods Pro, and three new Apple Watch models. But I want to talk not about the new products but what Apple still hasn’t shown.
In the months leading up to the event, there were many rumors. Some of them were simply not confirmed, while others were dispelled. So I would like to see what many people have been waiting for but which (at least for now) has not become a reality.
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💰Pay $100 more for a new iPhone Pro
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted that the company would raise the price of the iPhone 14 Pro by 10-15% (by $100). In that case, the iPhone 14 Pro would start at $1,099 and the iPhone 14 Pro Max at $1,199.
After the presentation we can breathe a sigh of relief, the prices remained the same. Like last year, you will have to pay $999 for the iPhone 14 Pro and $1,099 for the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
❌No iPhone mini
I love the iPhone mini. So this year, I was in for a tragedy because there is no new mini on the iPhone 14.
The last version of the iPhone mini is the iPhone 13 mini with a 5.4-inch display, which was the perfect size for fans of small devices.
At the same time, I would not say that the history of the mini iPhone is over forever. Still, Apple brought back the iPhone Plus model for the first time since 2018. If the company sees demand for a smaller device in the future, it will bring it back.
😎Apple AR headset
Rumors around the Apple AR/VR headset have been around for a very long time, so virtually every event has expectations attached to it. At the same time, the rumors aren’t only getting louder and more detailed. But at Far Out, there wasn’t a word about the headsets. I don’t think this is surprising since the event was about updating existing products, and high-profile news could have hit the hype around the new iPhone.
According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple will unveil its headset in January 2023. Also, the company has filed for the trademarks Reality One and Reality Pro, which could be used as sub-brands.
It’s rumored to be a standalone headset on the M2 chip that will focus on augmented reality interaction. Apple C-Suited is rumored to have tried it out in early 2022, so at least the company already has prototypes.
🔌USB-C for iPhone
Even though it’s irrational, I like Lightning. Yeah, I know. It’s slow. He’s not like the rest of us. Apple makes you buy a new wire. Apple is making money off of it. And yet, there’s some vibe to it.
But let’s be realistic. Circumstances are pushing Apple to move to Type-C. Europe (and even Brazil) are putting pressure on Apple to give up its Lightning port. So we can expect the company to introduce a USB-C port on its devices relatively soon.
According to rumors, the company is already testing iPhones with USB-C, but it probably won’t happen before the second half of 2023.
📡Satellite calls and text
Before the event kicked off, it looked like the company was getting ready to launch satellite connectivity. At least the rumors about this had been going on for months, and the stars in the event design looked like hints. Unfortunately, the rumors didn’t come true.
And yet, the rumors had some basis. Apple has, after all, launched SOS signals using the satellite on the iPhone 14. Recall that last year there were rumors that this feature would be added to the iPhone 13.
So it cannot be ruled out that the company will implement full-fledged satellite calls and text in the next iPhone. It seems to me that SOS messaging is just a test of the pen.
However, even the unfounded rumors have already contributed. Huawei announced satellite messaging support on its Mate the day before the Far Out event.
🎧AirPods Pro lossless audio
This was expected by many, but it didn’t happen. What Tim Cook introduced (and called “the most advanced AirPods”) still works via Bluetooth.
Yes, the second-generation AirPods Pro has upgrades, including improved noise cancellation and spatial audio. But there’s still no support for lossless audio, even though it would have greatly improved the user experience. they haven’t added support for lossless audio, which should have greatly improved sound quality.
Still, Apple has added Bluetooth 5.3. This version of Bluetooth uses the new LC3 audio codec to transmit sound more efficiently, which improves sound quality.
⌚Watch Series 8 won’t do what you expect
Apple was rumored to introduce a temperature sensing feature to the Watch Series 8. Yes, Apple has added two new temperature sensors to its device, but they are for menstrual cycle tracking.
I don’t know why many people are waiting for the advanced temperature tracking feature, as it seems to me it makes very little sense in actual use. However, I think Apple will add it as soon as it passes internal testing.
The fact that so far, the feature hasn’t passed has already been reported by Mark Gurman as a reason why the temperature feature hasn’t shown up in the devices yet.
