Taking a look back at another week of news from Cupertino, this week’s Apple Loop includes the new design for the iPhone SE2, the bright colours planned for the iPhone 8S, lower pricing for new iPhones, why the MacBook Pro keyboard is a problem, the latest beta of iOS 11.4, the performance of HomePod, and a smartphone homage to the iMac.
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).
iPhone SE 2 Design Revealed
There are a number of iPhone designs for 2018 currently going around the geekerati. It’s clear that Apple is planning to refresh the ‘X”, the iPhone 8 family, and the iPhone SE handsets. Lets start with the latter, as details on the look and feel have been uncovered via third-party case manufacturer Olixar. Forbes’ Gordon Kelly reports:
In short, Olixar’s new images show a hybrid of the original iPhone SE metal chassis but updated with a glass back (for wireless charging) and bezel-less iPhone X-style front with Face ID notch. As with the iPhone X, Touch ID has been removed to allow the screen to be substantially enlarged.
How big? This is perhaps the most exciting part.
With confusion reigning over whether this is a 5-inch ‘iPhone SE2’ or a larger circa 6-inch model sometimes referred to as the ‘iPhone X SE’ (neither name is likely to be the official one), Mobile Fun has obtained a pair of CAD drawings which show the new iPhone has the same size chassis as the iPhone SE.
Will iPhone 8S Use Go Color To Find An Audience?
One curious choice that Apple could be making is a move to put the focus of the iPhone 8’s 2018 update on the aesthetics of the device. The design has been iterated to its ultimate shape. What does that leave to attract new customers? The answer could be ‘color’, as I reported earlier this week:
If you were to believe the hype of the geekerati, the iPhone 5C was a failure that did not have an impact on sales and was rejected in favour of the ‘main line’ of handsets. I’ve written about this before and in short any other smartphone manufacturer would have loved the sales figures of the iPhone 5C.
But it wasn’t hip, cool, and cutting edge. It was for ‘the masses’ and Apple’s brand is all about exclusivity and being in a select club. In that sense the iPhone 8S color options might feel like a mis-step. I think the opposite. I think that this strategy around the 8S would reach out to new markets and new demographics.
More from myself on the new look and potential audience here.
Apple Looking To Increase ‘Out Of The Box’ Value
As well as reported $100 price cut, Apple is looking to increase the value for money it offers in this year’s new iPhones, as Gordon Kelly explains. The goal here is not provide more perceived value to the user while keeping the sticker price and the ‘exclusivity’ of Apple’s brand as high as possible:
Following on from widespread reports that Apple will cut new iPhone prices by as much as $100, is a second significant saving worth almost as much: Apple will bundle an 18-watt USB-C fast charger with every new iPhone.
…So combine the fast charger savings (and you want one - they deliver a 50% charge in just 30 minutes) with the upcoming price cuts and you’re looking at $170 more (circa $200 incl. tax) in your pocket. That’s substantial.
Next: MacBook keyboard issues, iOS 11 updated, HomePod sales, and your iPhone’s homage to the iMac…
MacBook Pro Keyboard Lawsuit Is The Tip Of The Iceberg
The issues around the fragile MacBook Pro butterfly keyboard has resulted in a class-action lawsuit being filed against Apple, but that’s not the most damaging aspect for Tim Cook’s team. First up is the lawsuit, which I reported on last week here on Forbes:
The ‘butterfly’ keyboards offer a much lower profile (allowing for a thinner bottom case on the MacOS-powered laptops), with a lighter feel to the keyboard at the expense of less travel in the keyboard action.
Unfortunately, owners of the butterfly-equipped machines have been reporting a number of issues with the keyboard, and the cost of repair of a single key feels out of balance with expectations
The bigger problem for Apple is the reputational hit that these keyboard flaws are delivering to Cupertino. Henry Casey is a good example of the feeling that is building in the minds of many:
Why am I worried I'll have to leave your MacBooks for a PC laptop? Because, as a journalist, and someone who composes emails, tweets and other notes, I want a great keyboard. And you don't make laptops with great keyboards – much less a reliable one – in any of the modern MacBooks.
By now, Apple, I hope you've heard the complaints of MacBook and MacBook Pro owners who are cursing your name for using butterfly switches, those thin mechanisms mired in controversy. Not only do the keys have less vertical travel than most, but they're allegedly more prone to failure.
And then there’s ‘Song A Day’ pitching in…
Sixth Beta For iOS 11.4 Released
Apple continues to work on the next point version of iOS 11, with the sixth beta of iOS 11.4 now available to download. As expected, there are no major feature changes, but there are improvements in ‘under the hood’ details, with power, battery, and wireless charging all being tweaked. Zac Hall notes the changes:
It’s only been a few days since the last beta, and now Apple has released iOS 11.4 beta 6 for testing. iOS 11.4 includes unreleased features like AirPlay 2 and Messages on iCloud. There’s also a new wallpaper for iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus. We’ll dig in to the new version and detail changes below.
How Is HomePod Performing?
During the thirst quarter, Apple has shipped 600,000 HomePod units (according to Strategy Analytics). It may have only been on sale for two of the three months of the quarter, but with Amazon selling over four million units, there’s a lot of ground to make up to get close to the market leaders (and that’s before we go into the ‘shipped vs sold’ semantics). Nick Slatt looks at the relative market shares and success:
While the HomePod may primarily be sold through Apple’s website, where the distinction between those terms may not be as meaningful as it is for other brands, it’s still an important one to point out here in the event a sizable amount of HomePods are just sitting in inventory rooms. Lastly, each of these smart speakers are available in a different number of markets around the world, which affects sales.
Still, the HomePod’s slow start would seem to jibe with news that the product failed to meet Apple’s expectations.
And Finally…
Twenty years after the launch of the iMac, you can carry a little homage every day, with a new translucent case from Spiegn that echoes the design classic. Andrew O’Hara looks at the new case:
These iMac-inspired cases come in three parts. A silver TPU layer that wraps around the iPhone and two plastic layers that act as the colorful and opaque parts of the computer.
Most of the cases have the large, colorful portion on top with a semi-opaque white portion on the bottom. The multi-layer design produces an impressive depth effect, playing homage to Apple’s candy-colored desktop. Colors available include green, red, teal, grey, and white.
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.
