Taking a look back at another week of news and headlines from Cupertino, this week’s Apple Loop includes an iPhone 15 Ultra shock, the iPhone 14 Pro will miss Christmas, a curious iPad answer, an iMac Pro surprise, Apple’s American chips, three new security moves, and Apple’s generous App Store update.
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 15 Price Shock
If you’re looking forward to the new iPhone 15 Ultra, then you need to start saving up more than you would normally need. The latest details on the handset show a significant price increase thanks to rising production costs, inflation, and economic conditions:
“LeaksApplePro states that “we don’t know the situation for the other devices in the line-up.” That said, with a $1299 starting price potentially seeing the iPhone 15 Ultra rise as high as $1799 for the 1TB model, this is likely to have a knock-on effect on the rest of the range because Apple doesn’t like to have a gulf between products in the same lineup.”
(Forbes).
TOPSHOT – The new iPhone 14 and 14 Plus is displayed during a launch event for new products at Apple … [+]
AFP via Getty Images
iPhone 14 Pro Delay Could Ruin Christmas
Before that takes off, there’s the small matter of the current iPhone models. The baseline iPhone 14 Pro has set the standard for iOS smartphones, but if you are looking for one as a Christmas present, you’re out of luck. There’s not going to be enough supply to fulfill any new orders ahead of the 25th:
“One month later and closer to the holidays, iPhone 14 Pro supply seems to have not yet fully recovered. Wait times for both models of the high-end 2022 iPhone series were set at around six weeks one month ago, and are now set at around three weeks. While the situation appears to be ever so slightly improving, the three-week wait time puts the iPhone 14 Pro out of reach for customers looking to have it by the holidays.”
(MacRumors).
Important iPad Question Answered
A teardown by the ever-reliable team at iFixit has answered one of the curious questions about Apple’s latest iPad… why it was limited to the first generation Apple Pencil and not the updated version. Why have built-in obsolescence? Putting aside questions of creating differentiation in the product line-up, is the answer all to do with the forward-facing camera?
“But there’s one element that disappointed on its announcement: the stylus compatibility is restricted to the first-generation Apple Pencil, not the superior second-gen version… The teardown shows that inside the iPad, the camera elements sit exactly where the tiny wireless charging coil that recharges the Apple Pencil second-generation on the other iPad models, would typically sit.”
(iFixit via Forbes).
A Surprise iMac Pro Appearance
Apple’s delay to the Mac Pro has upset many – especially those expecting Tim Cook and his team to complete the move to Apple Silicon by the end of 2022 – but there’s going to be a little more desktop Pro next year. Reports are that the professionally focused Mac Pro is going to be joined by a high-end consumer iMac Pro:
“Apple is planning to launch an iMac Pro in 2023. It looks like it will have a display very similar to the 27-inch LED mini display with ProMotion technology that will be introduced alongside the new Mac Pro, but of lower quality.”
(HowToISolve).
Apple To Use American-Fabricated TSMC Chips
It’s worth quietly watching the impact of TSMC’s launch of chip fabrication in the US. This sort of resource, outside of China, may become more important both in supply chain logistics but also with an eye on geopolitical concerns. Apple’s bulk ordering of Apple Silicon is undoubtedly one of the orders making this a viable business concern.
“The chip factories will be owned and operated by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, the biggest foundry company with over half of the global market share. TSMC produces the most advanced processors, including the chips in the latest iPhones, iPads and Macs. The plants will be capable of manufacturing the 4-nanometer and 3-nanometer chips that are used for advanced processors such as Apple’s A-series and M-series and Nvidia’s graphics processors.”
(CNBC).
Three New Security Moves
Apple has confirmed three updated security processes throughout its cloud-based services. The biggest impact will likely be the end-to-end encryption of iCloud storage:
“Starting next year, the iPhone maker will allow you to protect your Apple ID and iCloud account using security keys. This means that as well as a password, a physical key can be used as another layer of protection on your account. The iPhone update is easy to use Apple told 9to5Mac that once you authenticate once, you won’t have to do it again when setting up a new iPhone so long as you use the device-to-device set up process.”
(Apple Press and Forbes).
And Finally…
Apple will not allow developers to pick any price for their app, but the App Store team has increased the menu of prices that developers can choose from. 700 price points have been added:
“Apple today announced the most comprehensive upgrade to pricing capabilities since the App Store first launched, providing developers with 700 additional price points and new pricing tools that will make it easier to set prices per App Store country or region, manage foreign exchange rate changes, and more.”
(Apple Press).
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.
