Ultra, Max, and the next big thing: How Apple's 2023 will change everything - Macworld

Apple’s 2022 was a small dilatory connected the Mac side, but determination are brighter days up successful 2023 if you inquire me. But what astir the iPhone, Apple’s astir important product? And what astir the remainder of Apple’s merchandise line-up–including merchandise lines not yet introduced? 2023 promises to beryllium a large one. Here are my predictions for the iPhone, AirPods, HomePod, and Apple foray into an AR/VR headset.

An all-new iPhone–sort of

By each rights, 2023 should beryllium the twelvemonth erstwhile Apple performs a makeover to the iPhone’s wide plan connection since the existent plan has been astir for 3 exemplary years since the iPhone 12 line was introduced successful precocious 2020.

But the iPhone enactment isn’t what it erstwhile was. Now determination are 2 chiseled iPhone exemplary tiers–the iPhone and iPhone Pro–and 2 sizes successful each. The Pro models person been gradually differentiating themselves from the non-Pro line, and it’s worthy pondering if Apple is truly readying connected giving 4 telephone models a implicit redesign successful a azygous cycle.

My conjecture is that it won’t. There mightiness beryllium immoderate insignificant changes to the plan of the iPhone 15 (all caller iPhones volition athletics USB-C ports alternatively of Lightning, for example), but I fishy it volition worker connected for different twelvemonth looking a batch similar the existent iPhone 14 model. However, there’s 1 iPhone 14 Pro diagnostic that I bash deliberation volition marque its mode to the iPhone 15: the Dynamic Island. 

The Dynamic Island volition marque its mode to Apple’s non-pro phones.

Foundry

The Dynamic Island is 1 of Apple’s astir clever iPhone interface changes successful years, and there’s surely an statement to beryllium made that it should beryllium reserved arsenic a mode to motivate radical to bargain the more-expensive iPhone Pro models. But consistency crossed a merchandise enactment has value, and Apple tin adhd the Dynamic Island to the iPhone 15 without removing astir of the differentiation betwixt the lines.

I’m besides wondering if possibly the iPhone 15 Pro mightiness not look immoderate antithetic than the iPhone 14 Pro. You’d deliberation this would beryllium the twelvemonth for Apple to goose iPhone income with a caller design–and you’d beryllium right. But I deliberation Apple’s going to instrumentality the attack it did with the Apple Watch Ultra and present a caller high-end exemplary that shows disconnected plan flourishes that volition marque it into the remainder of the enactment eventually.

Out with the iPhone 14 Pro Max, successful with the iPhone 15 Ultra–a caller exemplary that’s big, boldly designed, and equipped with a caller camera subsystem, dissimilar thing we’ve seen connected an iPhone before. (Rumors astir Apple toying with a periscope-based strategy to summation focal magnitude person been retired determination for immoderate time.) People who privation the astir cutting-edge iPhones volition request to pungle up for the privilege. And conjecture what? A full batch of radical will.

Wearables, Home, and Accessories

It’s hard to foretell what changes Apple volition marque successful its enactment of accessories. The AirPods enactment seems beauteous solid, with the objection of the aging and quirky first-generation AirPods Max headphones. So I’ll spell retired connected a limb and foretell that we’ll spot a better-designed, much sensible acceptable of AirPods Max headphones successful 2023.

The AirPods Max needs an update and whitethorn yet get 1 successful 2023.

Wes Davis/Foundry

When I consult my Magic 8-Ball astir the Apple Watch, each it says is “Reply hazy, effort again later.” I benignant of expect the main-line Apple Watch to get a small redesign to prime up immoderate of the features of the Apple Watch Ultra, particularly the Action button. It feels similar the Apple Watch plan is successful owed of a refresh successful general, but I’m not assured that 2023 volition beryllium erstwhile it happens.

And successful presumption of location tech, portion I’ve been repeatedly burned successful predicting Apple’s instauration of caller home-based products, I take to judge that Apple was simply biding its time, waiting for the Matter specification to beryllium finalized truthful that it could outpouring into action. (Give maine this, okay?) So I’m doing it again: I foretell Apple volition really bash thing caller successful the home! 

The question is, what? Maybe it’ll beryllium a caller instrumentality connected the original, larger HomePod. Maybe it’ll beryllium a home-theater instrumentality that combines tvOS with speakers to make an awesome soundbar experience. Maybe it’ll beryllium a HomePod with a surface for the kitchen. I don’t cognize which 1 is astir likely, but it feels similar Apple has to do something, right?

A large dose of reality

Finally, the large one. After years of rumors and what seems to beryllium galore delays successful 2022, it feels similar 2023 is erstwhile Apple finally, finally takes the wraps disconnected its caller augmented-reality headset.

My champion guess: Apple volition unveil the merchandise successful a outpouring lawsuit and past vessel it aboriginal successful the summertime aft developers person had immoderate clip to excavation into the details astir however they tin physique apps for a brand-new Apple platform.

I’m besides going to aquatics against the tide regarding reports that the merchandise volition beryllium wildly costly and merchantability successful lone precise tiny amounts. That conscionable doesn’t dependable similar an Apple merchandise roll-out to me. Don’t get maine wrong–I’m definite it’ll beryllium pricey. But I fishy it volition outgo little than the $2,000-plus terms tag being bandied astir successful immoderate reports, adjacent if Apple has to swallow its accustomed wide margins successful bid to get it retired there.

Apple is going to privation to motivate people, astatine slightest adventurous ones, to springiness this merchandise a try. And for developers to get excited and enactment successful the effort to physique apps, the merchandise needs a marketplace and an audience! Apple volition beryllium highly motivated to get this archetypal headset retired determination and commencement gathering momentum, and an ultra-expensive developer kit isn’t however you bash that.

Some of these predictions will, of course, beryllium wrong. But I’m assured that galore of them volition beryllium correct, oregon adjacent to it–and if that’s the case, 2023 whitethorn beryllium the astir breathtaking twelvemonth for Apple watchers successful a decade. I can’t hold to spot what’s coming–and for each my predictions to beryllium utterly vindicated, of course.