3 things Apple needs to do at Far Out iPhone 14 launch to stay ahead

OPINION: We’re less than 12 hours away from the start of Apple’s Far Out event, where it’s expected to launch its new iPhone 14 line of phones, Apple Watch 8 wearables and updates to its AirPods line of headphones.

And while there have been plenty of juicy rumors about the specifics surrounding the devices, including rumors that it will launch a sports-focused Pro variant of the Watch 8, to me there are three key things the company needs to bring to the table if it wants to keep its place at leader of the pack in the world of shiny things.

Here’s what they are:

Modular design

I will clarify that this point here is not necessarily aimed at Apple, it is relevant to 99% of the tech companies we cover here at Trusted towers.

That aside, it’s still an important point. At Trusted, we hold the truth that “Global Warming is not a myth” as a core company value, and in line with this effort we include sustainability as a factor in our reviews.

Along those lines, I’d like Apple to take its already impressive sustainability commitments to the next level and start turning to a modular design philosophy. This is a practice where companies deliberately design products to be repairable and upgradeable, making every part easily replaceable when needed.

Fairphone pioneered the phone idea, to mixed results, many moons ago, and it’s since been adopted by other tech companies, such as Bang and Olufsen with their latest ultra-expensive soundbar, the Beosound Theater, which debuted at IFA last week.

The advantages of modular design are that parts can be easily replaced when needed. So if you break the screen, you can just pop the old one out and put in a new one. Or, when the battery starts to degrade, you can simply replace it. Later, if it’s no longer able to multitask properly, you could theoretically add more RAM.

This would be a continuation of Apple’s latest move to sell repair kits and tools for its iPhones that could radically extend the life of the devices. Combined with a circular design where old parts are sent back for repair or recycling as appropriate, this can also seriously reduce their impact on the environment.

A new look

The other big change I’d like to see is an overhaul of the iPhone’s design. It’s been ages since Apple did anything other than refine the design of its phones. A few years ago this wasn’t a huge deal as they still looked pretty trendy. But in 2022, when we have everything from under-screen selfie cameras to foldable screens, the heavy iPhone aesthetic looks distinctly retro.

Rumors suggest we’re still a long way from seeing a foldable from Apple, with the latest reliable report from January suggesting it’s not happy with the technology in its current state. But I would still like to refresh its main iPhone line. Even a punch hole front camera housing would be a step up at this point…

Lower price

Over the past five years, the prices of phones have been gradually increasing. That’s why we’ve now defined phones from £500-£700/$500-$700 as ‘mid-range’, with most flagships costing over £1000/$1000.

Apple has never been afraid to describe itself as a premium brand, but in the current cost-of-living crisis, if pre-event rumors suggesting it plans to raise, not lower, its prices with a new flagship iPhone 14 Pro turn out to be true, then it’s a completely dumb move. That’s especially true when recent reports from Bloomberg suggest it will also retire its mini line of phones, which have traditionally been the cheapest option outside of older models, year after year.