Tim Cook on iPhone's Future: 'There's So Much Left That We Can Do'

[Alameda]

Prove it.

Go take a look at your then year-old iPhone and see how far we've come.

 

[sully54]

Ok, Tim. Whatever you say, Tim.

 

[Yourbigpalal83]

ok...outside of adding a fold (which will be done by the end of the year), adding pencil support, thermal or night vision, an under the screen thumbprint sensor, under the screen camera, i dont see what else is left to do. Better cameras? Better screens? Better battery life? Reverse charging? (most of these things have been features for years on other brands). I dont see anything major you can do with a cell phone.

 

[-BigMac-]

While this is just typical corporate speak, it is still interesting that Cook thinks the iPhone will remain the core device in people's lives, given that Apple is pushing into new areas like spatial computing.

Not really.

I find it more interesting that you thought spatial computing would just blast right past iPhone like it doesn't exist anymore.

Spatial computing (Vision Pro) is nowhere near iPhone-scale adoption. It is approx 400,000 units total vs 10’s of millions of iPhones selling every quarter - of every year.

Those two are not even in the same universe.

 

[fatdickie]

While everyone else is struggling to innovate, Apple still has a ton of amazing ideas they are working to bring to future iPhones. This makes me excited for future iPhones.

 

[Crow_Servo]

So many more colors.

 

[Luftkopf]

Not iPad-style; full Mac OS. A Cinema Display with a slot for an iPhone Pro to drive it makes huge sense. Like the Duos with their docks that worked so very well. The Duos put VRAM, mass storage and i/o in the dock.

How would you make this viable? Have a 30GB macOS compatibility package to download on iOS to add libraries and resources to add macOS app compatibility to iOS? This would still have iOS limitations and not meet your bar of full macOS on a phone, but would alllow you to run macOS apps on an external screen. You'd still need a BT keyboard and mouse, otherwise trying to use a macOS app with a touch interface would be an exercise in frustration.

You could double the storage, and have two separate partitions, and just re-boot between OSs. That would give you full macOS, but every time you plug in a monitor you have to wait for your phone to reboot between OSs, which would make it useless, as it just wastes too much time when switching.

I like the idea of iPad like multitasking when plugged in. That would be more better suited, and more natural.

I will never understand the desire to run macOS on the iPhone/iPad.

 

[tuckerjj]

Not really.

I find it more interesting that you thought spatial computing would just blast right past iPhone like it doesn't exist anymore.

Spatial computing (Vision Pro) is nowhere near iPhone-scale adoption. It is approx 400,000 units total vs 10’s of millions of iPhones selling every quarter - of every year.

Those two are not even in the same universe.

With current technology. Once it’s in thin and lightweight glasses (and cheaper!), or even possibly (waaay off into the future) contact lenses, this will be a different story.

 

[Veinticinco]

I’d have much preferred it if he said “there’s so much more Apple can do.”

Time to draw on that 401(k) Timmy

 

[Tar Sniffer]

I think we are reaching the final stages.

There’s full under-display. Wireless charging replacing cables. Satellite network calling etc. Beyond battery cellular WiFi increments. I don’t think we’re there, but we are definitely late mid-life.

Steve Jobs declared the Mac as Apples digital hub. With the rise of AI and the products to follow I think the iPhone will soon take that title.

We will soon be wearing wearables that will all be powered by the iPhone.

 

[Veinticinco]

What has Tim Cook ever done for us?

And all those great Apple TV shows
Environmental initiatives,
Charity initiatives, educational programs.

Nice try chatbot but who’s the “us” in all that? AAPL shareholders?

 

[Skyscraperfan]

The frustrating part is that they could do a lot NOW, but they choose to spread it over as many years as possible to maximise profit. Thankfully the competition puts some pressure on Apple by releasing new stuff immediately.

It reminds me of that pole jumper who increases its own world record by 1cm each time, because there is an award of $100,000 for each new world record. So his strategy makes sense for him, although it means that in his prime years he might to jump as high as he could and therefore some day another pole jumper will jump higher.

 

[Tar Sniffer]

It’s amazing how many consumers fell for the switch to cheaper and less durable aluminum just to have something that felt different and that they hoped others might notice and envy. Change only for the sake of change, or a poor man’s status symbol maybe. I used to know too many people who needed everyone to know they have “the NEW one.” I went from aluminum to stainless steel to titanium to now polished titanium. No way in hell I’m going back to basics (and a phone that can’t be carried naked and survive frequent drops completely unblemished like this trusty space black Air).

It wasn’t for the sake of change. People complained that the iPhone 16 Pro became hot very easily. Yes, Aluminum is a cheaper material but it’s a better conductor of heat than titanium, helping to keep the chip cooler and reducing performance throttling.

 

[JamesMay82]

Our daughter just started high school so we got her an iPhone. She’s had an iPad for a few years and was always using that but the iPhone has become her fav device and uses it way more than she did the iPad.

The addiction levels of iPhones and smart phones in general is bonkers so yes I don’t see how it will not continue to grow.

 

[tuckerjj]

Nice try chatbot but who’s the “us” in all that? AAPL shareholders?

Why not both?

“If you keep your eye on the profit, you’re going to skimp on the product. But if you focus on making really great products, then the profits will follow.”

I’d totally agree with you that some bad decisions have been made, that were made based on what’s best for Apple rather than its users (e.g. various App Store policies, or the recent bundling of iWork products and associated AI upsell), but the idea that under Tim all decisions were made that way, that everyone working at Apple has that profit mindset now, and all these products and services were released only with that in mind, that the environmental and accessibility initiatives are solely about long term profit - that’s a super cynical and sad view of the world and I just don’t buy it based on the totality of everything we’ve seen during Tim Cook’s tenure.

 

[digitalrampage]

“So much left we can do” and proceed to make every generation the most incremental upgrade

Oi. the 17 was clearly a downgrade. Ti>Al

 

[Pezimak]

Yes Cook, you could perform a real miracle and give the iPhone auto spell that actually WORKS!!! It is utterly embarrassing and equally amazing just how bad Apple has made the auto spell and autocorrect on the iPhone over the years. If I don't get the spelling right I usually resort to Google as the iPhone struggles to correct one letter...

Apparently they use Ai for it now, and it is just as bad as ever.

 

[Pezimak]

So Apple will make the edges a screen, like Samsung has done before, make a foldable, like everyone has done before. What else will they do? What ever Cook says about the iPhone it is all marketing speak as really there is little left to do with it. Apart from raise its price.

 

[klasma]

"I think it's going to continue to be the center of people's digital lives."

But SpAtIaL cOmPuTiNg!

 

[t0rqx]

fix the manufacturing defects.

 

[AZBRONCOSFAN4EVER]

And yet… I find the iPhone - and all smart phones - less critical in my life with each passing day. It’s like after all of these years of using all of their advanced functions, I’m back to texting and talking just like with a 90’s flip phone. Of course, I’m sure that I’m the outlier.

BS you’re not using a phone keypad and pushing each button up to three times per letter to text. If you are you’re either a very stubborn person with a “lot” of time on your hands, or you’re an idiot that doesn’t know how much more convenient texting on a smartphone is compared to “flip” phones of the 90’s! Talk to text is a game changer especially when driving! But if you insist, then carry on with living your 90’s digital life! 🤣

 

[klasma]

You realise the Unicode Consortium comes up with new emoji, not Apple, right?

You realise that Apple and Google are taking turns co-chairing the Unicode Emoji Subcommittee, right?

 

[AZBRONCOSFAN4EVER]

Which is why we're only going to do one or two changes per year, to milk our customers as much as possible

I agree mostly, however you don’t have to get a new phone every year so…….
I know people that just updated their 9 year old iPhone. That was a huge upgrade for them! I keep saying I’m going to stop buying a new one every year or two, so far I’m on year 3 with my iPhone 15 PM. But since I carry two phones, I really had to get the orange iPhone 17pm to compliment my blue 15pm as I’m a Broncos fan and that was my justification and I’m sticking to it! Probably won’t get a new one until gen 2 of folding phone most likely coming in 2027 and hopefully will be less expensive than this years version that will undoubtedly be overpriced and not sell enough to justify the price hence they will hopefully lower the price for next generation! 😂🤪

 

[klasma]

"There's so much left that we can do with the iPhone."
What about small and light iPhone mini?

Exactly. Perfection is achieved not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away. 😉

 

[AZBRONCOSFAN4EVER]

The iPhone 15: make them think a hole in the display is an upgrade
The iPhone 16: make them think titanium is the shiznizz

They get away with everything 😁

Correction:
The iPhone 14 make them think a hole in the display is an upgrade
iPhone 15 make them think titanium is the shiznizz
iPhone 16 make them think a slightly larger screen 6.9” vs 6.7” and titanium and slightly better cameras (as usual) is cool
iPhone 17 back to aluminum frame and now a vapor chamber to cool the phone because oops, turns out the titanium doesn’t dissipate heat good enough for these fast computers and (constantly throttles the power)and aluminum works way better again! 🤣 🤪