Apple in 2017
Martyn Casserly rounds up what we can expect next year
2016 was an interesting year for Apple. It saw the introduction of the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, albeit controversially without headphone jacks, and a return to the 4in form factor in the popular iPhone SE. Plus there was the release of the Apple Watch Series 2, a new 9.7in iPad Pro, and an apparently Brexit-related unwelcome hike in prices across the board.
So, what does 2017 have up its sleeves for Apple fans? We’ve donned our prognostication hats, investigated every rumour and trend we could find,
all to bring you our predictions for 2017. It looks like it could be a big year.
Apple Watch 3
Apple released the second generation of its Watch in September of 2016 which added GPS, internal upgrades, and water proofing to the design. This was accompanied by the WatchOS 3 update that increased performance and functionality for not only the new models but also the original range.
We expect to see Apple announce the third iteration of its Watch in September 2017, hopefully for around the same price as the current models which start at £369, although that is far from certain after the increases we saw at the end of 2016.
There’s little in the way of firm evidence suggesting what the Apple Watch 3 will look like, but it’s fair to say that you should expect a model that’s very similar to the current version. Some experts have postulated that there could be a Watch S release in March of 2017 that would include additional storage space, but this remains a rumour at best. Several news sites have also speculated on the possibility of a round display, much like the one found on the Moto 360 Android Wear device.
It’s widely expected that the Watch 3 will include a front facing camera that could be used for selfies or FaceTime calls, as Apple holds a patent for such a device and Watch OS 2 introduced support for FaceTime audio calls.
The new model is also likely to feature a Micro-LED display, which would be lighter, thinner, and brighter than the LCD panels currently used.
Another common thought is that Apple will finally introduce 3G or 4G capabilities to the Watch, in order to make it more independent from the iPhone. We’re not convinced by this. Apple likes its devices to be closely tied together, and the battery life problems that come with cellular capabilities might make it an unattractive option at this time.
It’s still early days for the Apple Watch, so we fully expect this to be a quiet evolution rather than revolution. Thinner, lighter, faster and longer battery life is the mantra, and we’d be very happy with that.
iPhones
2017 marks the 10th anniversary of the iPhone, so many are expecting Apple to pull out all the stops and release something quite special.
iPhone SE 2
The first model to appear will be the iPhone SE2 or SEs, replacing the existing (and rather popular) SE that was introduced in March 2016. Expect the new model to be released in the same timeline and feature the existing, classic design, but with upgraded internals such as the A10 chip found in the current iPhone 7 and a more powerful camera.
In all honesty we’d love to see the original SE remain an option, and a price cut could make it a very attractive proposition, but this would make Apple’s iPhone range quite complicated so it’s more likely that the little powerhouse will be retired.
iPhone 7s or iPhone 8
There has been much discussion over what the new iPhone will be called. Normally Apple would
continue its tick-tock rhythm of a new design one year followed by the S version which upgrades only the internals. But the iPhone 7 featured a minimal change to the design of the 6 and 6s, which leads many to think that Apple is saving the big changes for its 10th Anniversary model: the iPhone 8.
Perhaps the biggest expected change to the design of the iPhone 8 is the removal of the Home button to allow an edge-to-edge glass display. But what of Apple ID and the fingerprint sensor? Well, there have been several reports that Apple intends to include technology that allows the screen itself to act as a fingerprint sensor, thus removing the need for a physical button.
This would be a truly remarkable innovation and give iPhone users display sizes on par with many premium Android devices but in a compact format.
MacRumours also asserts that Apple is intending to use a flexible OLED display rather than the LCD panels that have appeared on previous iPhones. This could make the devices lighter while also offering more vivid colours and contrasts.
Another feature often found on Android phones is that of wireless charging, and it looks very likely that this will be included on the iPhone 8. Some rumours even suggest the Apple will include long-range wireless charging, with Bloomberg Business reporting that the company wants to implement the game changing technology that could charge an iphone from several feet away, and could have it ready for 2017.
The Jet black colour introduced with the iPhone 7 has been very popular, but its tendency to scratch easily is thought to have prompted Apple to return to a glass back and front design for the iPhone 8. There might also be new Deep Blue and Space Black colour options if the reports on various Japanese sites are to be believed.
One interesting idea that’s gathering pace is that the new
model will include Augmented Reality software, which overlays relevant information on any place or thing that you point the camera at. While we’ve yet to see proof of this, it would be a very cool addition.
So with a new edge-to-edge design, software enabled fingerprint detection, long-range wireless charging, better display, plus the usual internal upgrades, the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus really could be a worthy way to mark a decade at the top. Roll on September 2017.
iPads
iPad Air 3
There was no new iPad Air in 2015 or 2016 so some Apple fans are hoping for an update to that model soon; but we suspect that the 9.7in iPad Pro has now displaced the iPad Air line.
In fact we’re not convinced that Apple will release another Air-branded product at all, as signalled by the 13in MacBook Air’s tiny update this spring and the retirement of the 11in version.
If Apple does surprise us and announces an iPad Air 3 then we’d hope for a faster processor, better camera, and 3D Touch (although KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo doesn’t think 3D Touch will make an appearance, apparently due to production issues). But our bet would be on the Air 2 being the last of its family line.
iPad mini 5
Given that the iPad Mini 4 was last updated in September 2015, it’s clear that Apple isn’t too focussed on its smaller tablets. This could change in 2017 though as rumours suggest that
March could see the introduction of an iPad Mini Pro with upgraded components, a new thinner, tougher aluminium chassis, and the inclusion of a Smart Connector to match that of the other iPad Pro devices.
iPad Pro 2
With the 12.9in iPad Pro arriving in November 2015, and the 9.7in iPad Pro in March 2016, it’s hard to guess the plans for this line. Our suspicion is that Apple will be patient and update both in spring 2017, but much will depend on how effectively they have dealt with the stagnating iPad sales problem we’ve observed in the past few earnings calls.
One way to stimulate interest could be the introduction of a new size, which is what analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is suggesting. He has stated that Apple will offer three Pros in 2017, but not a Mini as you might think, instead a 9.7in, 12.9in, and new 10.5in variant. He makes sense of this by explaining that the 9.7in Pro will be a lower powered version than it’s bigger brothers – possibly the existing Pro being kept as the base model and sold at a cheaper price.
Other rumours doing the rounds argue that there will be a 10.9in version instead of the 10.5in one Kuo is backing. This could also feature a design change that eliminates the bezels and makes use of the software fingerprint detection technology that is expected to appear in the iPhone 8.
There’s no doubt that iPads are in a transitional period at the moment, but Apple seems to be pushing the Pros as the way ahead, so expect some interesting products in March.