Other Any chance we'll see proper external display support for iphone 15?

[AndersM]

Assuming the usb-c rumors are true, I would love to see a similar external display experience as the latest ipads. With clean desk and free seating with usb-c docks becoming more and more common, a phone could replace a laptop for many people who live their work life in a browser.
With Samsungs DeX maturing it is also something I'd like to see to keep up with the competition.

Any chance we'll see this on the Iphone 15?
My guess would be not on the first gen usb-c phone. Got to give people a reason to upgrade next year as wel...

 

[Shirasaki]

What does DeX offer that can benefit iPhone user when iOS is So heavily designed with small screen in mind? And “more and more common”? Not as common here in Sydney if you ask me. But that’s besides the point.
Again, just because competitor does something doesn’t mean Apple will or should follow.

 

[JPack]

I don't see it happening, similar to how Apple doesn't want consumers running macOS on Apple TV hardware. They design a custom product for specific use cases. Apple already sees iPad as a desktop computing option.

 

[Rnd-chars]

What’s the use case here? I have my iPhone with me and then show up at a place that has:
1. A USB C monitor
2. A bluetooth keyboard
3. A bluetooth mouse

And when I plug my iPhone into it I see:
- a mirrored display of my iPhone? (Extremely low utility)
- a desktop scaled version of my iPhone screen? (Slightly more utility at increased dev cost)
- ???

And then I launch an app like Mail and see the iPad version of it (assuming one exists)? It certainly wouldn’t be a Mac version so that’s the best one could reasonably expect. Odds are it would just be the same app zoomed in for most cases since it would req 3rd party effort.

It’s not technically impossible, but the ROI doesn’t seem commensurate with the complexity and dev resources required for what would likely be a niche user base.

 

[AndersM]

What’s the use case here? I have my iPhone with me and then show up at a place that has:
1. A USB C monitor
2. A bluetooth keyboard
3. A bluetooth mouse

And when I plug my iPhone into it I see:
- a mirrored display of my iPhone? (Extremely low utility)
- a desktop scaled version of my iPhone screen? (Slightly more utility at increased dev cost)
- ???

And then I launch an app like Mail and see the iPad version of it (assuming one exists)? It certainly wouldn’t be a Mac version so that’s the best one could reasonably expect. Odds are it would just be the same app zoomed in for most cases since it would req 3rd party effort.

It’s not technically impossible, but the ROI doesn’t seem commensurate with the complexity and dev resources required for what would likely be a niche user base.

Doesn't have to be bluetooth. Most modern desk spaces with free seating has a usb-c dock with keyboard/mouse and monitor attached.
Check out how the m1/2 ipads new extended monitor feature works. You get a GUI adjusted to the large screen, not a scaled up mirrored ipad.
Like I said, many people do all their work in a browser, m365/Google Workspace ect, so a browser that can display desktop pages is the most important thing. Modern Iphones are more than powerful enough to output a hd/qhd image and run basic office software, so I just think it would be cool to be able to not have to lug around a laptop all the time.

 

[AndersM]

What does DeX offer that can benefit iPhone user when iOS is So heavily designed with small screen in mind? And “more and more common”? Not as common here in Sydney if you ask me. But that’s besides the point.
Again, just because competitor does something doesn’t mean Apple will or should follow.

DeX offers an alternative GUI made for larger screens and keyboard/mouse input. That's what I'd like to see. Like the new Extended monitor feature on the m1/2 ipads.
At my workplace all new desk spaces have usb-c docking for monitor/keyboard/mouse and more and more seats are not personal. Being able to just plug in my iphone to get a full size browser to do 95% of my work would be very useful for me.

 

[Rnd-chars]

Yeah, I still think the ROI on that is super low compared to other initiatives Apple could pursue. I recognize there’s some usefulness for some folks, but I’d wager the data show that not enough people would benefit right now. If I were a product manager there and had to prioritize that work against all of Apple’s other iPhone capabilities, I doubt it would ever make the cut.

That could potentially change with new form factors (eg a foldable device), but by then I see it more as iPad and iPhone merging and it’s just leveraging the iPad’s existing features.

 

[Shirasaki]

DeX offers an alternative GUI made for larger screens and keyboard/mouse input. That's what I'd like to see. Like the new Extended monitor feature on the m1/2 ipads.
At my workplace all new desk spaces have usb-c docking for monitor/keyboard/mouse and more and more seats are not personal. Being able to just plug in my iphone to get a full size browser to do 95% of my work would be very useful for me.

iOS interface design is extremely restrictive for third party developers. Stage manager window resize being inflexible is the perfect example. It’s just how it works. Forcing iPhone interface works on wide screen makes no sense if iPad version is more suitable for that.
On top of that, iPad Safari can work like a miniature macOS Safari. iPhone Safari can’t. Simple as that.
Plus, iPad can be used as a sort of second display in that sense. Idk what iPhone display Can be used for. Trackpad?
You also mention 95% of your work. Idk what those 5% are, but I guess some of those 5% probably are best served to have a desktop-ish browser like iPadOS Safari.
Anyway, I just can’t see Apple spending resources on developing such a niche iPhone use case when iPad has everything built in already.

 

[kitKAC]

DeX offers an alternative GUI made for larger screens and keyboard/mouse input. That's what I'd like to see. Like the new Extended monitor feature on the m1/2 ipads.
At my workplace all new desk spaces have usb-c docking for monitor/keyboard/mouse and more and more seats are not personal. Being able to just plug in my iphone to get a full size browser to do 95% of my work would be very useful for me.

Get an iPad, that's what Apple wants.

 

[klasma]

The better argument would be for the iPad mini to support more than just mirroring. Unfortunately it has become a second-class iPad in the line-up.

 

[mrochester]

I don’t even think the iPhone will get anything more than USB 2.0 nevermind enhanced functionality that currently belongs in iPad land.

 

[Love-hate 🍏 relationship]

Definitely no

 

[ofarlig]

Since they haven’t even added proper external display support for the iPad Pros I would assume no.

 

[Torty]

Don’t think so. Also no pencil support. You need an iPad for that. USB-C is only for charging because of the EU mandate. I think it will be still at USB2 speed because Apple is still improving air drop. They don’t want to go back wired.

 

[The Game 161]

Seems highly unlikely.

 

[teh_hunterer]

What’s the use case here? I have my iPhone with me and then show up at a place that has:
1. A USB C monitor
2. A bluetooth keyboard
3. A bluetooth mouse

And when I plug my iPhone into it I see:

Most modern workplaces have a USB-C dock that's connected to a keyboard, mouse, and monitors.

What you'd see, in this hypothetical scenario, would probably be iPad's stage manager with iPad versions of apps running.

It's not a desktop OS, but it would be as useful as an iPad docked, which isn't nothing.

 

[Rnd-chars]

Most modern workplaces have a USB-C dock that's connected to a keyboard, mouse, and monitors.

What you'd see, in this hypothetical scenario, would probably be iPad's stage manager with iPad versions of apps running.

It's not a desktop OS, but it would be as useful as an iPad docked, which isn't nothing.

Yeah, but then customers are potentially using twice as much storage for every download since they’d need the iPad and iPhone versions of an app on the off chance that they’d ever use this scenario. It would negatively impact the majority of users to improve the experience for a frighteningly small minority of users.

Sure, you could mitigate this by adding a toggle somewhere (“Download iPad version”), but this is a pretty poor user experience. Plus, you’re spending more expensive engineering time on something that will be rarely used.

Also, your specific scenario is corporate oriented, which is more Microsoft’s focus than Apple’s. Even if it were, it’d be cheaper and more performant for those corporations to buy iPads over iPhones. Even if a company thought they’d save money by only buying their employees iPhones, how quickly would those iPhones age out compared to more capable iPads or laptops? What does that do to long term ROI? And while you could use this in a BYOD scenario, that makes the whole thing even more niche.

Apple absolutely could build this, but given a list of prioritized features and this one’s probable impact, I just don’t see this ever making the cut.

 

[teh_hunterer]

Yeah, but then customers are potentially using twice as much storage for every download since they’d need the iPad and iPhone versions of an app on the off chance that they’d ever use this scenario. It would negatively impact the majority of users to improve the experience for a frighteningly small minority of users.

I really doubt that would be much of an issue. Some apps could be updated to run iPhone or full sized versions, and those that don't get updated would double up but I don't think apps themselves take up that much storage.

Also, your specific scenario is corporate oriented

Not really. Docking stations and USB-C monitors are very common.

Even if it were, it’d be cheaper and more performant for those corporations to buy iPads over iPhones.

Corporations already buy their staff iPhones, not iPads.

Even if a company thought they’d save money by only buying their employees iPhones, how quickly would those iPhones age out compared to more capable iPads or laptops? What does that do to long term ROI?

In many corporations the phones typically get replaced every 2-3 years anyway, in bulk, at reduced cost.

I'm not imagining Apple is going to actually do any of this but these misgivings are a bit overboard.

 

[Ctrlos]

I’m not sure how much well known it is but the Lightning HDMI Adaptor had its own SOC to kind of ‘airplay-over-wires’ to fudge external display support.

Thunderbolt would mean that the iPhone is capable of supporting and powering a proper display connection.

 

[Ctrlos]

I’m not sure how much well known it is but the Lightning HDMI Adaptor had its own SOC to kind of ‘airplay-over-wires’ to fudge external display support.

Thunderbolt would mean that the iPhone is capable of supporting and powering a proper display connection.

Apple have the means to shove the M1 in a potential iPhone Ultra if they wished which would give it the ability to push iPadOS to an external display in Stage Manager.