A cynic might say that, given we’re already up to the iPhone 15 and AirPods 3, figuring out Apple’s plans for 2024 isn’t exactly difficult. Nonetheless, the well-connected Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman has put some flesh on the bones for Apple’s plans, and it actually sounds like the company may be making some significant changes to its products that don’t rhyme with ‘eye bone’.
In his latest ‘Power On’ newsletter, Gurman explains that the iPhone will “take a back seat to Apple’s wearables buiness in 2024”. Not in terms of sales, of course — as Gurman points out, the phone still brings in over half of the company’s revenue, and it will likely continue to do so, even though the changes are set to be limited, even by Apple’s modest standards.
“Apple plans to retain the iPhone 15’s design while increasing screen sizes on the Pro version,” Gurman explains. “Lower-end models will get the Action button, and there will be a new dedicated button for taking video.” Be still, my beating heart.
Beyond that, however, things actually seem pretty lively. There’s Vision Pro, of course, which Gurman expects to land before the end of February, even if Apple hasn’t given a date beyond “early 2024”. At US$3,500 (~NZ$5,620), however, this will be of limited interest to people whose money/sense ratio remains in tact.
But the Apple Watch may be, and it’s getting some interesting developments in terms of health features. In 2024, the Apple Watch will be able to detect two new ailments, Gurman says: hypertension and sleep apnea detection.
“Imagine when Apple is able to make an ad touting how it invented the ability to take a blood pressure reading from the wrist,” he writes. “I think that’s going to sell a lot of devices.”
Then there’s AirPods, and Apple will apparently launch two new non-Pro sets in 2024, with updated designs, new-look cases, USB charging and, in the case of the more expensive pair, active noise cancellation.
But more interestingly than that, Gurman writes about a “major software-based development” which will allow AirPods to function as hearing aids. That could be a great development for those suffering from hearing loss, and trials have indicated that AirPods are already as effective as some dedicated brands.
But the company isn’t doing this out of the goodness of its heart: “Apple believes its take on the hearing aid has the potential to upend a multibillion-dollar industry,” Gurman writes.
On top of this, you can expect all four iPads getting refreshed — the Pro being the most interesting with its OLED screen — and some more Macs getting the M3 chipset. So plenty of opportunities to give Apple more money in 2024, should you feel so inclined.
