The Apple World Today gang aways likes to offer our predictions on all things Apple for the year ahead. And here is what our crystal balls show for 2023.
Editor/Publisher Dennis Sellers
Macs
Obviously, we’ll see new Macs. I expect the first ones will be new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros in the March timeframe if not sooner. They’ll sport M2 Pros and M2 Max chips.
Around the same timeframe, we should see an updated Mac mini with such processor options. I think fall will see updated 24-inch iMacs and an updated Mac Studio. The former should pack M3 processors (though I have no clue why the all-in-one wasn’t updated with M2 chips in the interim).
I think the Mac Studio will be offered with M3 Max and M3 Ultra options. I’m not sure when, but I think we’ll see a new 2023 Mac Pro with the latest and greatest Apple Silicon inside. It will be very expensive and probably the last rev of the Mac Pro (which I’ll cover in another column).
I don’t think we’ll see a 12-inch Mac laptop. And I’m going out on a limb here and predicting no 27-inch iMac (again, a topic I’ll cover in an upcoming column.)
I also think that Apple will release a new 27-inch (or perhaps 30 inch) display next year. Unlike the US$1,599 Studio Display, this one will support ProMotion technology for refresh rates up to 120MHz in addition to a mini-LED panel. However, I don’t foresee any updates to the $4,999, 6K Pro Display XDR.
iPads
We’ll see updated iPads next year with updated specs and performance tweaks. However, we WON’T see a 14-inch, 15-inch, or 16-inch iPad Pro.
We also aren’t going to get an iPad running macOS (although I’d like such a device). I also think Apple will ditch the plain ‘ol iPad and offer the table in Pro and mini versions only.
iPhones
The iPhone 15 will, as always, get better processors. Since folks seem to be preferring the more expensive iPhones to the low end models, I think Apple won’t offer more iPhone minis or iPhone SEs. Instead, the tech will promote previous gen smartphones for those on a budget. Regarding the iPhone 15 line-up, I think these rumors will come true:
° The iPhone 15 will be made of titanium and feature a new border design. The back edge corner will be rounded and not square.
° The iPhone 15 Pros will sport an increased 8GB of RAM, a USB-C port, and multiple camera improvements.
° The Dynamic Island feature will expand to all iPhone 15 models.
° The long-rumored “periscope lens” will be exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
HomePod
I think, as Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has predicted, that Apple will ship a HomePod that can double as a speaker doc for an iPad. The idea is to offer something that users can place on a kitchen counter, in the living room or on their nightstand. But Apple also has worked on an iPad docking accessory that it could sell separately and would accomplish much of the same thing.
I also think that Apple is working on a HomePod product that combines a speaker, Apple TV functions, and a FaceTime camera. However, don’t look for it until 2024.
Apple TV
I think Apple will release a new Apple TV set-top box that has an increased focus on gaming. It will pack an A14 chip and an additional gigabyte of RAM. That compares with the A12 chip announced as part of the 2021 Apple TV last year and could be useful for additional gaming capabilities rolling out in tvOS 16.
There are rumor that Apple is planning its own gaming console. That ain’t gonna happen, but I do expect the company to release its own game controller that works with a new Apple TV, as well as the Mac, iPhone, and iPad.
Apple Watch
I don’t see any major changes to the Apple Watch as we saw in 2022 with the debut of the Apple Watch Ultra. There’ll be updated specs of course, even better battery life, and, if we’re lucky, mini LED display tech.
Still, I think there’s a good chance we’ll see models with 5G connectivity options. Cellular editions of previous watches in the series, even the Apple Watch Ultra, have had LTE connection but not yet 5G.
Apple Glasses/Reality Pro
I think Apple’s rumored extended reality headset will finally debut next year — though it will be in the fall. It will be pricey (around $2,000) and be a full-fledged head-mounted display (HMD). In 2024 Apple will roll out a follow-up model with a lighter design that look like “normal” glasses.
Apple Car
We might get some tidbits of news about an Apple-made vehicle, but don’t expect to see one roll out in 2023. Or 2024. Maybe not even 2025.
Operating system updates
Obviously, we’ll see updates of macOS, iOS, iPadOS, tvOS, and watchOS at the summer’s Worldwide Developer Conference.
I think macOS 14 will see the return of Dashboard (which Apple discontinued with the release of macOS Catalina). I also think we’ll see notification mirroring across all Apple devices and the ability to use Find My to locate a misplaced iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch. Speaking of the former, I think we’ll finally see the Apple Watch app come to the Mac.
iPadOS 17 should finally add true multi-user support and, as with the Mac, Apple Watch integration. There will also be enhancements to multi-tasking, although folks like me still won’t see the iPad as a laptop replacement.
iOS 17 will see the return of landscape mode. I think we’ll also see more interactive Home Screen widgets and more Home Screen customization options. Also, I think there’s an outside chance we’ll see Apple Pencil support come to the iPhone.
watchOS 10 will allow developers (maybe even users) to build their own watch faces. You’ll be able to access your saved passwords right from your wrist with the Keychain app. And the Translate app might finally come to your wrist.
tvOS 17 will, as mentioned, offer more gaming features. Beyond this, my crystal ball is murky.
Editor Emeritus Steve Sande
Apple’s long-awaited move into augmented reality (AR) starts in 2023, but not with augmented reality… more like virtual reality with a VR headset to challenge Meta’s Quest headsets.
Unlike most Apple products, there will be a price point below that of the least expensive Quest 2 headset, which is currently $399.99 — I’d think Apple would like to come in at about $249.99. Apple will wait to compete with the Quest Pro (professional, $1,499.99) headset — they want to make a big jump into VR first. They’ll also announce a number of big-name apps being available at launch. The AR “glasses” won’t be around for a few more years.
Apple will suffer a big financial loss in 2023, mainly caused by labor problems in China where most of their production is still based. Shortages of product will cause the loss, and due to this the Apple board of directors will remove Tim Cook from his position as CEO, replacing him with Jeff Williams (current COO) or Sabin Khan (current VP of Operations).
As the new Matter Home Automation Standard finally takes off in 2023, adoption of Apple’s Home app soars since it will now work with many more third-party devices.
All new products shipped by Apple in 2023 will use USB 3 or wireless for charging as the company aligns with the EU’s new requirement for a single wired charging standard.
The iPhone Camera app for the iPhone 14 Pro Max and iPhone 15 Pro Max will include a dedicated astrophotography mode for taking long-exposure photos of the night sky. To counteract the Earth’s rotation, the app takes a series of exposures long enough to capture stars and planets yet not show motion, then stacks them for both focus and brightness before setting a deep black background.
Apple will announce that they’ll require car manufacturers to use only wireless CarPlay in new vehicles starting in 2024.
Apple will reintroduce a larger iMac, this time in both 27–inch and 30-inch sizes.
Contributing Editor Marty Edwards
Almost Guaranteed
New iPhone – Its easy to predict a new iPhone. It happens every year, usually in September, just in time for the back-to-school crowd. It will probably be called the iPhone 15, with a Pro and ProMax probably the same sizes as this year. There will be an upgraded CPU and GPU. I feel the big change this year will be to a USB-C port instead of Lightning. This is being pushed up in time due to European regulations. I feel that Apple might drop the plus line and any smaller iPhones. It seems from all indicators that the smaller phones are not selling like Apple had hoped.
MacBook Updates -There have been no updates to the 14” and 16” MacBook Pros since Fall of 2021. I feel there will certainly be updates to the MacBook Pro lineups.
Apple Watch – There will be an updated Apple Watch probably in the Fall. Perhaps there will be some changes to the Ultra. Otherwise, any changes will be small such as a slight bump in performance and battery life.
iOS 17 and a new Mac OS – Apple will most likely introduce iOS 17 in June at WWDC and release it with the new iPhone in September. The new Mac OS with some California name will be announced as well at WWDC and released in October.
Probably
There will probably be some new Macs. These are not as guaranteed as in years past due to supply chain constraints. I personally use a Mac Studio M1 Max and I can say it’s the best computer I’ve ever used. I am hoping for an update to it with the M2 or even M3 chip. I’ll predict that the M2 will be skipped for the Mac Studio line and go straight to the M3.
I have trouble pushing the M1 Mac Studio to it’s limit so why want any upgrade? I do game a lot on the Mac Studio (World of Warcraft) and would enjoy seeing some more graphical power. I can run most all on maximum settings, but would love to see what a solid upgrade to the Mac Studio can do.
I think there will be a new Mac mini since the last one was in 2020. I feel an updated iMac Pro will be introduced. The last iMac Pro was 2017.
Even Apple mentioned there was one more computer to move to Apple Silicon and that is the Mac Pro. They had planned to do so by the end of 2022, so I think that will come this year.
Probably Not
I don’t think the follow products will come to light this year.
Apple Glasses, Apple VR, and an Apple Car. These all might happen relatively soon, but with the supply issues and manufacturing issues Apple has faced, these will take a back seat.
What I would love to see but might not ever happen
I would like to see Apple making more networking products such as routers and switches. I love the reliability and build of Apple products, and would enjoy more of the network being from Apple.
Though not a physical product, I would like for Apple to offer Time Machine backups on Apple servers. With the availability of 1Gbit networks it would be easy to keep backup on Apple’s own servers.
Regardless of what Apple does or does not bring in 2023, it will be exciting. It always is.
Article provided with permission from AppleWorld.Today