Yes, friends, I know that just by reading the title many will come to this article thinking “What does this boy say?”, but I assure you that there is a rational explanation for such a strong statement. First of all, let us start from the basis that it is unlikely that Apple will not launch a new iPhone this year; Rumors about the iPhone 14 and its alleged features have been around for a while, so it is logical to think that those from Cupertino will maintain their annual renewal schedule in 2022.
Now, there are plenty of reasons to think that Apple could calmly do without any new smartphone model that it might have on the way for next September, and choose to throw the house out the window in 2023.
In the technical section, the differences with your current mobile —the iPhone 13— would be more evident; something that also applies to the design, considering that those of the apple usually update it every three generations and the current aesthetic was introduced in the iPhone 12. Why launch an iPhone 14 that looks like its predecessors, with only slight changes, when there are great chance that the iPhone 15 will offer a much more substantial change in its appearance, then?
We must not forget that The iPhone is Apple’s most successful product, and by a wide difference. Only during the last fiscal quarter, the company reported revenues of 50.6 billion dollars from the sales of its mobile; a figure tremendously far from that of the rest of the hardware in its catalog. As a comparison, the sum of the revenue from the sale of the Mac, iPad and Apple Watch in the same period was about $ 39,000 million. Therefore, Apple must take care of its flagship device and try to keep its ecosystem healthy. Also, developing new products takes years, not months; therefore, any changes to the schedule for future releases must be made well in advance.
However, I am convinced that if Apple considered the possibility of skipping a year the launch of a new iPhone, it would obtain very positive results. Not only because it would achieve a more visible aesthetic and technological change in relation to its previous generation, at a time when innovation seems to have stalled at a general level in the smartphone industry, but because the interest of consumers in changing the safe model would also be greater; and it would give a little more air to a production line that has been greatly affected by international uncertainty.
Oxygenate the production line
As we’ve already mentioned, Apple hasn’t been immune to hiccups on the production line. The high levels of inflation worldwide, the war between Russia and Ukraine and, mainly, the resurgence of COVID-19 in China, have taken their toll on those led by Tim Cook. In fact, the Californian firm considers that the restrictions due to the coronavirus in the Asian giant could cost it up to $8 billion in the current quarter.
To this we must add that those of the apple do not expect iPhone sales to improve in the remainder of this year, not even with the optimizations that the iPhone 14 would introduce. Those of Cupertino have decided to maintain a “flat” production of 220 million units of the smartphone, similar to that of 2021, against the 240 million originally estimated.
If Apple did not present a new mobile this year, it could surely oxygenate the production line. Thus, the resources allocated to the iPhone 14 could be used to support the manufacture of the iPhone 13 as the main product for another year; after all, current Apple mobiles have more than enough qualities to be spearhead for an additional time.
Also, it’s not like current iPhones will go out of production overnight when the next model goes on sale.
Will the iPhone 14 really change that much compared to the iPhone 13?
Clearly, we will not know this for sure until we see the new model of the iPhone presented in society. The rumors so far have been several, although some seem more feasible than others. However, with Apple nothing is certain until the company shows the device live and direct.
Yes, if we are guided by what has been disclosed to date, those from Cupertino would have interesting news in the pipeline. The most important would be, without a doubt, iPhone mini removal to make room for the iPhone Max with a 6.7-inch screen, the same size as the Pro Max version but with entry-level specifications and a lower price.
But the most striking data that has circulated so far indicates that Apple would only update the chip of a part of the new models. The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max would have the new processor A16while the iPhone 14 and Max would keep the A15 of the iPhone 13. If confirmed, it will be one of the most unusual decisions of those from Cupertino in a long time.
The cameras of the Pro and Pro Max models would also see an improvement, with 48-megapixel sensors and 8K video recording. While on the front lines, Californians would begin the transition to a design without notch, although it would not be definitive either; It is speculated that they would only abandon it completely as of 2023.
The possibility of applying a slight change in the aspect ratio on the screen of the Pro models has also been mentioned, and that the refresh rate will be 120 Hz in the four models of the iPhone 14 thanks to the extension in the range. of ProMotion technology. The rest of the design would remain along the same lines, following what was established in the iPhone 12 and 13, with the slight pertinent modifications.
Assuming that everything that has been said about the iPhone 14 is real, do you still believe that it is such a shocking generational leap? Or the typical evolution of a development that is polished year after year and that does not count as revolutionary? Personally, I lean more towards the latter; especially since the biggest change Apple will face is rumored to be next year. We are talking, of course, about adopting USB-C port.
USB-C, a turning point for the iPhone
Many will say that adding a USB-C port to the iPhone isn’t particularly revolutionary, since every other modern phone already uses it. However, if it does happen —and everything indicates that it will—, it will mean a paradigm shift for Apple. Ultimately, the company will have to explore “opening up” territory in its ecosystem that it has refused to do for years.
According to Kuo, the 2023 iPhone will be the first to ditch the Lightning connector, more than 10 years after its introduction. While Mark Gurman has reported that those of the apple are already testing prototypes with USB-C. In addition, the regulatory seasoning must be added, especially in Europe, where important steps are being taken in the implementation of the single charger with said connector.
And let’s not forget the forced changes that Apple should face in other products and also in its vast catalog of accessories, although they will not happen overnight.
The jump from Lightning to USB-C is far from being the most attractive in technical or innovative terms, that is out of the question. But don’t let this change distill the glamor of other features on the spec sheet, It does not mean that it cannot be one of the most significant that the iPhone incorporates in a long time..
Why not ease the transition and put all the chips on the 2023 iPhone, then? Giving more oxygen to the production line, unifying the technical and aesthetic changes of two generations into one, and opening the door to USB-C are options that I humbly believe Apple could analyze and implement more successfully than any other technology.
I return to the beginning: it is unlikely that those from Cupertino will not launch a new mobile this year. After all, there are billions of dollars at stake and plenty of shareholders to please.
But I am convinced that if Apple dares to make us wait another year to present a new iPhone, will shake the market. They will generate more expectation, they will have more technological and appearance advances to show off, and will surely encourage other companies to follow in their footsteps. It has happened when they removed the chargers and the headphone jack, without going any further.
If it were to happen, maybe we could begin to get excited about stopping feeling that the smartphone market is saturated with models that are promoted as the Holy Grail of the industry And they’re just more of the same.