The iPhone 14 will have standard updates, but all eyes will be on Apple’s exciting new categories. Why the iPhone won’t take center stage in 2022??

The iPhone was redesigned in 2020, however by 2021, the iPhone had become pretty stagnant, whilst the iPad Pro had taken a significant stride ahead.
Given Apple’s lengthy redesign cycles for iPhones, I don’t expect a breakthrough new iPhone to drive sales much higher. However, Apple will fiddle around the edges while improving the iPad and unveiling new items the likes of which we haven’t seen before… from Apple, at any rate.
These are my forecasts for the iPhone, iPad, as well as the rest of Apple’s non-Mac product range in 2022. I’m doing this at the risk of being completely incorrect in front of others, but I’ve been there before, and what doesn’t kill you gives you confidence.

The iPhone’s margins are being tweaked

The iPhone of 2023 will most likely seem drastically different from what we have now, but the look we’re familiar to in 2022 will most likely remain same. However, if rumours are correct, Apple will alter its offering slightly.

First and foremost, the iPhone SE is due for an update. Nobody is enthused about the iPhone SE, but it’s critical for Apple to offer an iPhone with a more affordable starting price in some areas and with some people. It also enables Apple to exploit older technology that it has previously refined and keep it around for a bit longer. I expect a new iPhone SE to resemble the present model–in other words, the iPhone 8–but with a contemporary A15 CPU as well as an edge-to-edge display featuring Touch ID built in the sleep button, similar to the iPad Air and iPad mini.

Meanwhile, as a lover of the iPhone small, I am disappointed to hear that Apple has responded to weak sales by replacing it on the pricing list. I believe the iPhone small will return in some form, maybe on a limited basis, but I appreciate Apple’s desire to investigate if an alternative mix of size & feature options would sell better. So I’ll agree that the four iPhone models for the autumn will be an iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max–and a new iPhone 14 Max which adds a larger screen to Apple’s lower-priced phone line.

I also believe that the lower-priced iPhone 14 models will continue to lack compatibility for the ProMotion display first seen on the iPhone 13 Pro. I’m sure Apple wants ProMotion to be ubiquitous, but forcing non-Pro phones wait another year? It appears to be a simple approach to entice folks to upgrade to the Pro.
Aside from that, I expect all of these iPhones to receive the standard selection of mid-cycle upgrade features–better cameras, faster A16 processors, and so on. The iPhone 15 will most likely blow out minds, but that isn’t something that will happen until 2022.

The iPad’s functionalities have been improved

Apple will most likely deploy an M2 processor inside a new MacBook Air around the middle of the year. So, by the autumn, I expect to see new M2-based iPad Pro variants, with the smaller one finally getting an upgrade to a high-dynamic-range mini-LED backlit display.

I usually make predictions that I hope will come true and then regret them afterwards, but I’ll do it here: Not only will Apple launch a freestanding external display that is far less expensive than the Pro Display XDR, but it will also be supported by an iPadOS upgrade (likely iPadOS 16) that enables an independent external Apple will need to redesign windowing for the iPad to do this, but with support for external keyboards & pointing devices already built in, as well as a whole new set of multitasking standards introduced in iPadOS 15, it’s already a long way there. People, this is happening! At least until Apple releases a good external display.

The productivity-obsessed world has recently fallen in love with note-taking applications that allow you to swiftly link together disparate notes and establish a knowledge web on your devices. A new version of Notes that permits cross-linking will be one of the primary features of iOS 16. It will irritate anyone who has ever used Roam Research, Craft, or Obsidian, but those who just use Apple Notes might find it interesting.

And, despite all evidence to the contrary, I’m betting that 2022 will be the year in which Apple releases one of its “pro” iPad applications. My money is on Final Cut Pro, but Logic may be there as well. They’ll look fantastic when connected to Apple’s upcoming external display. Right?

Brand-new product categories

Finally, let me anticipate a handful of new goods that Apple has never released before.
In 2022, I predict Apple will release new home-focused products. It’ll most likely be a HomePod with a display and camera. It’ll support Siri, run widgets (and maybe AppleTV apps? ), and offer full FaceTime video compatibility with dynamic panning and zooming via the Center Stage feature, which is already present on the iPad Air and iPad mini.

I’d like to believe that Apple is working on a new Apple TV device that integrates TV, audio, Center Stage, & home automation to create a fantastic sound bar that also functions as an Apple TV. This product has the potential to be fantastic, in my opinion. I’m hoping it exists. But I’ll believe it when it shows up, not before.

Augmented reality glasses will be another important new Apple product for 2022. Yes, I believe they will happen–but you should temper your enthusiasm. They’ll appear similar to Meta’s Quest headset, but they’ll have far more processing power, better screens, and a much higher price tag. I believe the initial Apple headgear will be positioned as a technical exploration–for developers and early adopters to pave the way for the future–and Apple will strongly push AR apps during WWDC, particularly to game makers.

And with that comes the next, simpler prediction: a slew of individuals will write about how Apple’s AR glasses are disappointing, a flop, and a disaster. The Macalope will publish several pieces pointing out the flaws in the article. And in 2023, Apple will release an AR device that improves on the previous one, a year of development will have resulted in some outstanding AR applications from astute iOS developers, and the success of Apple’s AR product line will have been evident all along.

Okay, perhaps it won’t happen. It’s likely that Apple won’t reach anywhere near where it wants to go with AR until 2024 or 2025. However, that is Apple for you. It starts along a road, then iterates brutally on its products until it gets to where it wants to go. In terms of augmented-reality glasses, Apple will embark on its trip in 2022.