Many analysts have been predicting the end of the iPhone for years. Not only because it seems to be reaching its peak like the rest of smartphones, but also because of the future of augmented reality and virtual reality devices. In Apple’s case, the excuse is the already presented Vision Pro. The iPhone still has a lot of life and has an interesting line of evolution from the front.
To be honest, we doubt that a future iPhone will be the revolution that the first one was in 2007. However, they can continue to be a perfect complement to devices like the Vision Pro and, of course, with improvements that are already rumored and that they are even palpable on certain devices.
Goodbye to the piece of cardboard surrounded by premium components
In an iPhone, as also happens in other smartphones, we see a careful map of high-end components with increasingly powerful processors and a high-end external design. And it is surprising that among this careful internal and external design we find a piece of cardboard in the shape of SIM card.
Yes, the iPhone has gone through different types of SIM, to arrive at the Nano SIM, which is reduced to the chip and nothing else. However, is increasingly presented as an unnecessary nuisance. Its place can be occupied by any other component and, no matter how small it is, in such a small space it can be vital.
With eSIMs also on the agenda, there are fewer excuses for carrying a physical card. So much that Apple no longer sells iPhones with SIM slot since iPhone 14, but only in the United States. Ultimately this is something that operators intervene in and given that in other countries like USA there are still companies that do not offer eSIM, Apple has decided to wait.
But wait. Many rumors say that The company plans to launch a SIM-free iPhone worldwide and this will be the case in the short term. At one point, this was even considered for the iPhone 15, although it ultimately didn’t come to fruition.
Today, this may seem like something far away and something businesses are unwilling to experience. However, the first generations of iPhone are the best example. impetus for change for operators. At the time, Apple had launched the claim to be able to launch free mobile phones without adding software from operators. At the time, this was seen as an impossible fight on Apple’s part, but we’ve already seen how carriers ultimately had to give in. That this happens with the eSIM is something more predictable.
An iPhone Max the size of an iPad mini
Reach the 7-inch screen diagonal For a tablet like the iPad, that means being the smallest in its class. In fact, the latest 8.3-inch iPad mini surpasses them. However, on an iPhone, we have been close to the 6.7-inch limit since the iPhone 12 Pro Max.
Well, that maximum size won’t last long. So little that we are already in the countdown, given that the iPhone 16, more precisely the ‘Pro Max’ model, expected with 6.9 inches. And in the absence of testing and while it may seem like a minor change, that extra 0.2 inches should be seen. There will be those who love it and those who hate it, but it will be a big iPhone.
The good thing in this sense is that the weight of the device does not necessarily have to be much greater. The iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max used titanium as a construction material, which, among other things, allows them to be much lighter than their predecessors built primarily from stainless steel.
Even more microscopic transistors for the chip
The A18 chip aims to be the first manufactured in 2 nanometers
Apple’s main chip supplier, TSMC, entered the 2-nanometer race several years ago. Generally speaking, it involves manufacturing smaller and smaller transistors in microprocessors and therefore improving performance. For reference, 4 nanometers is the industry standard and the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus show this with an A16 Bionic that the iPhone 14 Pro was already releasing back then. In the case of the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max, they already measure around 3 nanometers.
Well, it was recently learned that TSMC will begin production of these chips in 2025. Based on its history, the manufacturer has always been committed to starting the implementation of these chips in iPhones. Yet, The iPhone 17 Pro could serve as the start of this new microprocessor manufacturing process. Something that, in the absence of additional data, appears to be a very important step that will give it a lot more raw power.
Farewell to the dynamic island. everything will be sea
“All you saw was fields.” Or rather the earth. From the already legendary notch launched by the iPhone hide the front sensors. Sensors such as the selfie camera, but also what is called “True Depth” which are part of the 3D facial recognition which makes Face ID possible.
Hiding all these sensors is not easy and although Apple’s solution was to add black borders through software, there is no denying that, in some ways, this continues to be an obstacle. Even a small, vibrant island couldn’t avoid it. So everything goes through put the sensors under the screen. And here there would be no Apple invention, since cell phones were launched with the camera hidden under the panel.
Now though, Current results from cell phones with under-screen cameras leave something to be desired. Not only because they end up being noticeable with worse screen quality at this point, but also because the front-facing cameras show results far removed from those found when the camera is on top.
A recent supply chain report warns that LG is already working on under-screen sensor models The idea is that it will be in 2025 that they will begin to be included in iPhones, bringing the dream of having an “all-screen” iPhone closer.
And why aren’t the Vision Pro competitors for the iPhone?
What the Vision Pro or other devices might have in store for us in the future is a mystery. There are many forecasts regarding its sales, some more optimistic and others less so. The fact is that until they have been on the market for a few years and we see their evolution in terms of software and hardware, it is a mystery.
Image: Apple
However, It doesn’t seem like Apple’s short-term idea is to abandon the iPhone in favor of the Vision Pro. In fact, they seem convinced that they are complementary devices. We find proof of the coexistence between the two in iOS 17.2, a version that among its new features offers the possibility for an iPhone 15 Pro or 15 Pro Max to record spatial videos that can later be consumed in the Vision Pro.
And if we add to the previous advances of the iPhone others that have not yet been revealed and that Apple may not even be aware of today, the truth is that A prosperous future can still be predicted for the iPhone. Less revolutionary than the first model was undoubtedly, but not stagnant either.
Cover image | Álvaro García M. with DALL-E 3
In Applesfera | Five ChatGPT prompts you can use from your iPhone to brighten your day
In Applesfera | 33 little-known iOS tips for our iPhone and iPad ready to discover
Table of Contents
