While all eyes are now on the products that Apple could announce in the first and second quarters of 2024, today we decided to take a look at the previous year instead. And between software announcements and highly anticipated hardware new features, the Apple firm was able to spoil us in 2023. Moreover, when we summarized all the changes revealed by the company over the period, we asked your opinion on the question.
It turns out that,for more than half of you, 2023 is “a great vintage“. This is perhaps explained by the many new features arrived with the major update to iOS 17, presented during the Worldwide Developer Conference and available for around three months. And for us, the latest computers discovered at Apple are not left out. Here is our selection of the most notable points from last year, at Cupertino…
1 – A brand new computer from Apple: the 15-inch MacBook Air
To begin with, how can we not mention the case of the famous new MacBook Air, available for the first time in a large fifteen-inch diagonal? For us, it's clearly the star laptop of this decade. The manufacturer has finally understood that users are increasingly looking for comfort, without requiring high-end performance as with the MacBook Pro.
But this does not mean that the power is not there – far from it, in fact. Indeed, remember that the MacBook Air M2 is still powered by the excellent chipM2, which we also find under the hood, precisely, of the most affordable MacBook Pro. The price, however, remains on average twice as expensive as alternatives from competing brands at equivalent ranges: count on 1,599 euros, at least, for the 15-inch MacBook Air.
2 – The transition to Apple silicon chips is complete
Still on the computer side, you should know that 2023 was also the opportunity for Apple to complete its transition to proprietary chips, announced in 2020. This will have suffered a few months of delay, but the measurements suggest that the newMac Proindeed presents itself as one of the fastest towers of its generation.
And again: the M3 Ultra chip has not yet been revealed, but it has every chance of pushing the limits of Apple silicon processors even further. Let us specify, moreover, that theMac Studiowith M2 Ultra motherboard remains very competitive with the new Mac Pro, especially with a much more affordable price. Count on 4,799 euros for the small central unit in question, compared to 8,299 euros for the 2023 Mac Pro.
3 – No new iPad in 2023: a first!
Observers will probably also have noticed that in 2023, Apple has not presented any new touchscreen tablets. This is the first time this has happened since the start of iPads on the scene, in 2023 for those who remember it best. Difficult to explain the causes of this absence, but the crisis probably has something to do with it.
Indeed, if iPhones and Macs clearly represent real “essentials” for many users, tablets can generally be easily replaced by a computer for work, or by a mobile for entertainment. There will therefore, it seems, been a question of refocusing on flagship products at Apple in 2023.
4 – The Lightning port is over (or almost)
Another big absence from 2023: no Lightning port this year! So, certainly, the almost standard had not been entitled to the slightest serious update for a long time anyway. But that's not really the point. Indeed, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro have all been announced with a universal USB-C socket. This wasimposed on Apple by the European Union, and other smartphone manufacturers elsewhere, for charging.
The objective is twofold. On the one hand, it is above all about simplifying users' lives with a single standard for all devices. So you only need to take one charger with you, whether for your Mac, your iPad, your iPhone or even your Android smartphone. On the other hand, it is a question of limiting the number of waste generated, precisely, by the sales of accessories. A notable gesture for the environment, even if above all effective in the long term. Indeed, to begin with, there are indeed millions of Lightning chargers that will go by the wayside…
To go further, remember that beyond the iPhone, Apple has also updated theAirPods Pro wireless charging caseand theApple Pencil: both are now also rechargeable with USB-C, now.
5 – Journal, a new native iPhone app
Coming back to mobiles, we will also note that Apple unveiled a new app this year, which is quite rare to note.
This is of course Journal, which as its name suggests is presented as a real virtual diary. You can use the app to note your thoughts for the day, but also to link GPS coordinates with Apple Maps or photos saved in the eponymous media library. The platform is completely free, and automatically installed on all iPhones equipped with iOS 17 at least.
Journal's value proposition is reminiscent of that ofDay One, another very similar service also available on iOS but also on the Mac App Store and on the Google Play Store. So much so, in fact, that the media did not hesitate to bring up again the case of the practice called “sherlocking“, in 2023. This is the term used when Apple unveils features that can replace already very popular third-party offerings, making it difficult for publishers to survive.
6 – The Apple Vision Pro, of course
Finally, it's impossible not to talk about 2023 for Apple without also talking about its brand new mixed reality headset: the Vision Pro.
The device will be available to the general public for the first time on February 5, the date having just been confirmed by email to the main interested parties. However, we do not yet know its complete technical sheet! This will probably be revealed next month.
It will be possible to test the Apple Vision Pro in the Apple Store, moreover it is very likely that even online pre-orders will require going to an official store in Cupertino each time to collect the box. The latter also integrates the external battery of the mount, which allows it to last no less than two hours on in a row.
- Apple released new products in 2024, including the fifteen-inch MacBook Air M2 and Vision Pro
- Few major software new features are worth noting, except perhaps the Journal app
- Port Lightning is disappearing from traffic
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By : Keleops AG
