My wishlist: What Apple needs to fix in 2024

iPhone demo zone at New York’s Best Buy store. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Express)

Simplify the iPhone lineup  

The flagship iPhone 15 Pro Max is a great smartphone, and so is the baseline iPhone 15. However, the truth is that they aren’t significantly different from their predecessors. Aside from a few changes here and there, they are essentially the same. You still get the same screen, the same battery life, the same design, and a performance that’s barely any better. While the cameras have improved a bit, it’s not to a level that justifies upgrading unless you have a relatively new model. And that’s the core issue with the iPhone. The fact is, Apple has been releasing repackaged versions of the iPhone since the launch of the iPhone X, with minor tweaks that don’t push the envelope or encourage users like you and me to upgrade faster.

The iPhone has experienced dizzying success over the past few years, upending the entire tech industry. While it remains the most popular smartphone to date, sales of iPhones have started to slow down. Maybe at this point, Apple doesn’t care much as it’s not impacting profits, but the fact remains that consumers are keeping their phones for longer, and fewer people want to upgrade to a new smartphone. Apple seems to have also hit the upper circuit when it comes to pricing. 

What Apple could, or rather should, do is streamline the iPhone lineup by reducing the number of iPhone models it offers. Apple sells four models of the iPhone 15, and, to be honest, they are pretty confusing. It reminds me of Apple in the early ’90s when it sold Macs in a variety of SKUs. The iPhone 15 Plus and iPhone 15 Pro make less sense from a value point of view; one is a massive version of the iPhone 15, and the other is a shrunken version of the top-line iPhone. 

It’s time for Apple to get back to the basics and release just two versions of the iPhone with big differentiators. One is aimed at the mass market but with a slightly bigger screen and a larger battery than the baseline iPhone 15 model, and the other that replaces the current Pro Max variant, may be packed with more premium features. 

In addition to that, I’d like to see Apple making the iPhone more repair-friendly so that consumers can easily repair their phones, reducing the exorbitant repair costs. But for that to happen, Apple has to shed tight control over expensive smartphone repairs and give control to consumers. Trust me, Apple will still be making billions of dollars. 

iPad Pro is the top-end tablet in Apple’s iPad lineup. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Express)

Fix the broken iPad

I have been a loyal iPad user since the early days, and I still am. But I am as confused as others about the positioning of the iPad, and it saddens me. The biggest problem with the iPad is Apple’s flawed idea of “something for everyone”. Visit the iPad section of the Apple Online Store and you will see an old-school 9th-generation iPad, a new-style 10th-generation iPad, a premium mid-range iPad Air, two powerful iPad Pros, and a mini iPad. In total, Apple is selling five types of iPads with accessories that only work with some models. 

I can imagine how difficult it is for an average consumer to decide which iPad to get. If people ask me for a suggestion, I tell them to get the iPad mini because that is the closest to what I think an iPad should be. It’s a shame because the iPad was meant to be a device that would bridge the gap between the Mac and the iPhone, and now it looks like something else, far from what Steve Jobs had promised. 

Simplifying the iPad lineup could be the first step in that direction. The company needs to discontinue the 9th-generation iPad and replace it with a new entry-level model. 

The question is, how long will Apple keep the 9th generation iPad in the lineup, or if it replaces it at all, will it bring the price of the 10th generation iPad down or introduce a brand new model? That would take care of the education market at the low end but also phase out older accessories like the first-generation Apple Pencil. However, the 10th generation iPad hasn’t been received well due to its high price and limited accessory support. 

The iPad Air is another iPad that makes people confused. In fact, the confusion starts the minute you put the iPad Air, the 11-inch iPad Pro, and the 10th-generation iPad next to each other. All three have a similar screen size, but for some reason, Apple has made a separate Magic Keyboard Folio case that’s only compatible with the 10th generation iPad. Apple needs to fix the iPad Air either by increasing the screen size or updating the processor. It should also keep the price of the next-generation device the same as the last-generation model. I don’t know whether you have noticed or not, but the iPad Air has gone from a mid-range offering to a high-end territory due to a gradual price increase over the years (accessories prices are not included). So Apple better offer price justification to keep consumer interest in the iPad Air.

Perhaps the most confusing aspect of the current iPad lineup is how it pitches the high-end iPad Pro. First, there are two different models, and barring the difference in the screen size, both models feel the same. The new models are on the horizon, as per reports, but they might feature OLED screens, an M3 chip, and a revamped Magic keyboard. But that would not be enough to make the iPad Pro any better. Apple needs just one high-end iPad Pro model, and that too with more than just the best hardware. Unless Apple figures this out, the iPad Pro will continue to sell poorly.

However, the problem also lies in iPadOS, which may seem simplistic but, in practice, doesn’t come close to macOS in usability and practicality. Apple has intentionally limited iPadOS, fearing the iPad could cannibalise sales of the Mac. Apple is slow to add features that truly make the iPad a MacBook Air replacement. The time has come for Apple to take a stance on how it wants the iPad to be: keep the tablet the way it was meant to be or make it as good as a Mac notebook. 

Apple’s voice-based assistant Siri needs a drastic makeover. (Image credit: Apple)

Get GenAI into Siri 

If there is one question people are trying to find the answer to, it is: what is Apple doing in the generative AI space? So far, the AI race is being fought among tech giants including Microsoft, Google, Adobe, and Amazon, but Apple is nowhere to be seen. Meanwhile, OpenAI is leading the AI conversation with ChatGPT and its rumoured AI device in the works in collaboration with Apple’s former designer Jony Ive. Apple, on the other hand, seems silent and hasn’t revealed how it plans to bring generative artificial intelligence capabilities to its hardware and software. It’s not that Apple has not added AI to its core products. But when it comes to generative AI, we haven’t heard anything concrete from Cupertino so far. 

No wonder Apple’s voice assistant Siri looks aged and slow. With advancements in Gen AI and the way its competitors, including Amazon, have adopted this technology (Alexa is powered by generative AI and based on a new, custom-built large language model), the pressure is on Apple on how it can capitalise on AI and bring ChatGPT-like AI chatbot natively to its popular devices and apps while also keeping privacy in check. Apple’s machine learning research team recently released a framework called MLX to build foundation models, so turning Siri into a hands-free ChatGPT might be a long dream. If it happens this year, nothing better than that, or else Apple risks losing the advantage to other players, keeping its products away from Gen AI smartness.