This week, we are back with a compilation of the Apple-centric news floating around the web. There has been constant chatter around the company’s VR/AR headset and sources report that iOS 17 will deliver an AR/VR app in 2024. Another topic generating headlines is the high-end ‘iPhone Ultra which could potentially slot ahead of the ‘Pro Max’ in the line-up instead of replacing it.
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AR/VR App In iOS 17
Apple’s next major version of iOS (codenamed Dawn) – presumably the iOS 17 – is expected to deliver minor design changes and will include an app for the company’s upcoming virtual reality headset. The AR/VR app is expected to have the same concept as the Watch app but will include more features geared towards the headset.
iOS 17 will also deliver some minor changes to the music, wallet, mail, and reminders apps.
Read More: Apple To Move To In-House iPhone Wireless Chips by 2025
High-End iPhone Ultra
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman is back with more information about the supposed iPhone Ultra in the work. Apple is reportedly exploring avenues to include a new pricier ‘Ultra’ iPhone, which would higher than the ‘Pro Max’ in the rank and entirely eliminate the ‘Mini’ and ‘Plus’ version. The change would streamline the iPhone line-up into a one ‘Base’, two ‘Pro’ and one Ultra.
While the device is expected to arrive in 2024 (iPhone 16), details about the device is still vague. Gurman believes the device will have further camera enhancements, larger display, and faster chip to sperate itself from the Base and Pro models. Last year, there were rumours that the Ultra would replace the Pro max model, but that theory is looking unlikely now.
Foldable iPads
Apple has been rumoured to join its rival, Samsung in the foldable smartphone space, however, nothing has been released so far. A new report by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggests the company is working on a foldable iPad, which would arrive as early as 2024. There is not much information to go by yet, but the tablet is expected to have a kickstand similar to the new Pixel tablet.
Touchscreen MacBook Pro
There are several laptops in the market with touchscreen display, however, none of them are made by Apple. The company has long reserved touchscreen to the iPad and maintained a traditional non-touchscreen for Mac laptops. That could be changing soon as a new report suggest we are about to get a MacBook Pro with touchscreen display by 2025.
The touchscreen MacBook Pro is expected to feature a trackpad and keyboard as well as display taps and gestures similar to Windows laptops. The first set of touchscreen Macs will reportedly run only macOS because there is no indication that the company is working on a combination of iPadOS and macOS to power the product.
Apple’s Q1 2023 Earnings
Apple’s Q1 2023 results show revealed that the company made $117.2 billion in revenue and net quarterly profit of $30 billion, compared to $123.9 billion and net quarterly profit of $34.6 billion in the same quarter last year. Sales was down for the iPhone (8% YoY decrease) and Wearables, Home and Accessories (8% YoY decrease) while the sales for the iPad grew by 30%.
Apple also announced there are currently 2 billion active devices (iPhones, iPads, Macs, and others) worldwide and 935 million paid subscriptions across its services. The company’s services business brought in $20.8 billion (6% YoY increase) this first quarter compared to $19.5 billion made during the same time period last year.