Taking a look back at another week of news and headlines from Cupertino, this week’s Apple Loop includes iPhone production problems, the MacBook’s new home, poor iPhone 14 performance, forgetting the foldable iPad, Apple’s Homepod plans, and the greatest font for your iPhone.
Apple Loop is here to remind you of a few of the very many discussions that have happened around Apple over the last seven days (and you can read my weekly digest of Android news here on Forbes).
China’s Ongoing Problems Hit iPhone Production
Appel is facing more delays both to the current iPhone 14 line-up and feeling the impact on the pre-production of the iPhone, and it’s partly down to China’s approach to CoVID-19. With Apple analysts reporting an eight percent sales drop during the holiday season and nine percent of iPhones manufactured in China, this is an area with medium- to long-term impact:
“The US tech giant has had to contend with more than a month of chaos at its main assembler Foxconn’s megafactory in Zhengzhou, China, known as “iPhone City”, following an outbreak that started in October…As the Chinese government reverses its zero-Covid policy, a longer-lasting risk now looms: the potential of worker shortages at component plants or assembly factories across the country.”
(FT.com).
CUPERTINO, CA – SEPTEMBER 7: Apple unveiled four new iPhones, three new Apple Watches and an updated … [+]
MacBook Production Is Moving
Also, against the background of issues in China, Apple is moving some MacBook production to Taiwan for 2023. Whether this will be a mix of products or a single model for a specific territory to ‘test’ Foxconn’s capabilities remains to be seen:
“Apple has tapped its top supplier, Taiwan’s Foxconn, to start making MacBooks in the Southeast Asian nation as early as around May, sources briefed on the matter said. Apple has been working to add production sites outside of China for all of its major product lines, but doing so for the final one, the MacBook, has taken longer due to the complex supply chain needed for making laptop computers.”
(Nikkei Asia).
Poor iPhone 14 Plus Performance
Alongside the impact on its supply chains, Apple is facing a bit of a misfire with the iPhone 14 Plus. The larger ‘base’ iPhone is not proving to be as attractive a smartphone as it hoped. And that could have a knock-on effect on the iPhone 15 product mix:
“Apple is reportedly “seriously” concerned over the sales performance of the iPhone 14 Plus, the 6.7-inch non-Pro variant of the iPhone 14 lineup. As a result, it is considering ways to restrategize its iPhone lineup for next year.”
(MacRumors).
No Foldable iPad For You
While the Android world continues to innovate and expand what it means to be a mobile device with foldable phones, Apple is firmly staying out of the development race. While many of the geekerati are hoping for a change in the future, that does not appear to be the case:
“I think it’s unlikely Apple will replace the iPad mini with a foldable iPad in 2025, which may be contrary to what some media previously predicted. It’s because a foldable iPad will have a markedly higher price than an iPad mini, so such a replacement is not reasonable.”
(Ming-Chi Kuo via Barrons).
Let’s Get Large And Smart
Fans of Apple’s smart speaker are expecting an update in 2023. The next HomePod may return to the larger speaker format previously canceled:
“… Apple is working on a HomePod that would be larger than the HomePod mini and closer in size to the original HomePod. It could be between the HomePod and HomePod mini in size, sound quality, and cost, offering an option for those who want something bigger than the mini but not as expensive as the first HomePod.”
(MacRumors).
And Finally…
Do you know what your smartphone needs? Do you know what the world needs? Do you know what needs to become the number one option in the zeitgeist? Comic Sans on your iPhone:
“If you like your iPhone but hate the San Francisco typeface, developer Zhuowei Zhang has posted a neat tool to Github—an app that can temporarily “overwrite” the iOS system font with another one, giving your phone a new, non-Apple-sanctioned look.”
(Ars Technica).
Apple Loop brings you seven days worth of highlights every weekend here on Forbes. Don’t forget to follow me so you don’t miss any coverage in the future. Last week’s Apple Loop can be read here, or this week’s edition of Loop’s sister column, Android Circuit, is also available on Forbes.