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In this week’s roundup of Apple news that you’ve probably already read on other news websites several days ago, I dive into three topics that caught my eye.
According to the rumour mill, we might get an oversized iPad Air next year, followed by a much-needed and long-awaited overhaul of Siri.
One of those pieces of news surprises me, and the other I am highly suspicious of – can you guess which is which?
As if that wasn’t enough, it seems that Apple has regained its position as the world’s most valuable publicly traded company. Again.
Apple may launch a 12.9-inch iPad Air in 2024
I referred to the iPad Air recently as one of Apple’s “greatest triumphs” in my guide for the best iPad to buy this year. That’s an opinion which I think will hold plenty of weight for as long as the iPad Air exists.
However, if you’ve ever been in the market for an iPad Air, you’ve only ever had one size from which to choose. Apple has, wisely, always suck to the standard iPad size for the Air; there’s no mini version, and no ‘Plus’ model. This is part of the iPad Air’s charm – it’s ridiculously easy to buy.
That might change next year. If the rumours are to be believed, Apple is readying a larger version of their mid-range tablet. Expected to make the light of day during a product-packed spring event, the rumoured 12.9-inch iPad Air would be the first iPad of that size not to wear the ‘Pro’ moniker.
The whispers surrounding such a device have been swirling around for a year now. I genuinely cannot remember ever spotting them, though, which does make me question their legitimacy. Regardless, if a super-sized iPad Air does hit the market next year, it could be a super option for anyone who has lusted after the big boy iPad Pro but who hasn’t got the budget (or stomach) for such an investment.
The big question is: which concessions will be made in a 12.9-inch iPad versus the iPad Pro? My bet is on a downgraded camera system, non-ProMotion display, and Touch ID over Face ID.
Better Siri FINALLY coming in 2024?
Does the promise of better microphones in the iPhone 16 immediately make your eyes feel heavy? What if I told you this “significant upgrade in microphone specifications” is linked to a huge Siri overhaul in iOS 18?
This is getting more interesting, isn’t it?
According to industry analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo, the next version of iOS will focus heavily on upgrades to Apple’s much-criticised digital assistant. Whether or not this will finally force Tim Cook and Co. to utter the phrase “AI” on stage is anyone’s guess, but I think we can all agree that the time has come for Siri to step forward and be counted.
Kuo suggests that the microphone improvements on the iPhone 16 will centre on the signal-to-noise ratio, which will be upgraded to “improve the Siri experience significantly”.
Apple is known to have reorganised its Siri team earlier this year to ensure it could begin competing with the likes of Google, who have embraced artificial intelligence and large language models seemingly far more comprehensively.
Whatever Apple has planned for Siri next year, it sounds like it’s going to play a pivotal role in the launch of the iPhone 16. This gives me hope – providing the same improvements make their way to the HomePod lineup, too.
I wait with cautious optimism.
The $3 trillion yo-yo continues
In January 2022, Apple became the first company to hit a $3 trillion market valuation. Over that year, its valuation decreased steadily, due to nervous investors and a challenging economic backdrop following the fallout from the pandemic.
The same pattern reared its head this year when Apple once again became a $3 trillion company in June following the announcement of the ambitious Vision Pro product and what it believes to be the future of computing. But, guess what? That market cap valuation began to decline again, shortly thereafter.
Then, on 5th December 2023, Apple’s share price rose by 2%, returning it to the top of the tree as a $3 trillion company. Again.
This yo-yo valuation illustrates how turbulent the markets within which Apple operates are. It also serves to remind us all just how much Apple dominates most of those categories in terms of revenue and profitability. How long Apple will retain its $3 trillion valuation this time is anyone’s guess, but it does set the stall for what is going to be a crucial year of new Apple product updates in 2024.
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