Macworld Its been a mixed year for Apple fans, with much of the companys focus and developmental resources trained on 2024s Vision Pro launch. While the Mac got a raft of updated models and an entirely new chip generation...
Its been a mixed year for Apple fans, with much of the companys focus and developmental resources trained on 2024s Vision Pro launch. While the Mac got a raft of updated models and an entirely new chip generation in 2023, the iPhone and Apple Watch both saw extremely conservative launches and the iPad got no launches at all.
But lets imagine a different timeline; one where Vision Pro doesnt exist and Apples engineers and designers have unlimited time to work on anything they fancy. In other words, which Apple products didnt get an update in 2023, but should have?
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
iPad mini
Of the iPads that were neglected in 2023which is to say, all of themthe iPad mini was the most neglected. Whereas the standard iPad and iPad Pro last got a refresh as recently as October 2022, and the iPad Air was updated in March 2022, the sixth-gen iPad mini arrived in fall 2021. Its seriously overdue. By the time Apples next spring event rolls around well have been waiting two and a half years for Apples next micro-tablet.
At one point the iPad mini seemed linked with the iPad Air, its larger but feature-comparable mid-range sibling, but the minis longer update cadence since 2019 has shifted it down into a smaller equivalent of the standard iPad. (Among other things the Air update in 2022 brought an M1 desktop-class processor, whereas the 2021 iPad mini is stuck on the A15.) Im not against the mini being marketed as a budget, entry-level option, but thats a decision to be actively made, not something you allow to gradually happen through inaction.
Aside from more powerful processors, the iPad mini (which has no Smart Connector) still hasnt got access to Apples range of Magic Keyboards, and perhaps a new petite edition could help to make the mini a viable option for work on the go. But right now, it isnt going anywhere.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
AirPods Max
If the iPad mini is neglected, having seen no updates since September 2021, what do we say about the AirPods Max? They came out in December 2020 and were promptly ignored forever.
It doesnt help that they were flawed from the start. The design of the headphones themselves is divisive (I dont like it but my colleague Jason Cross did) while the Smart Case is unifyingly awful in both design and function. But the feature set, which seemed solid at launch, has grown steadily less impressive over the past three years to the extent that an update is now sorely needed. My colleague Jason will settle for nothing less than a total rethink.
For what its worth, the AirPods Max are reportedly due for an update in 2024, but since this is predicted to involve only some new colors and a USB-C port, it feels like too little, too late.
Foundry
Magic Mouse
Were really going retro now. From products last refreshed in 2021 and 2020, we turn to one last updated in the far-off and altogether more innocent days of 2015 (aside from a new black color in 2022). But its still current, as far as Apple is concerned: shell out a small fortune for a new iMac today and youll find a Magic Mouse nestled in the packaging like a sinister time-traveler from the era of bad design.
As with the AirPods Max, I had reservations about the Magic Mouses overall design language from day one, but lets leave those aside for now. (Ive given up hoping that Apple will ever make the sort of ugly mouse that actually feels good in the hand.) Instead, lets focus on the lack of Force Toucha feature the Magic Trackpad has had since 2015and the annoying charging setup that means you cant use the thing at the same time.
The time was ripe in 2023 for the Magic Mouse to magically transform into a mouse thats worth a damn, and Im gutted that yet again it didnt.
Apple
Pro Display XDR
If youre asking $4,999 for a display, youd better hope its good. The Pro Display XDR certainly was good, when it came out in 2019, but things have moved on, and its surprising Apple didnt find time in 2023 to give it an update.
Thats not just us saying that. Multiple pundits predicted that Apple would launch a new Apple silicon-equipped version of the Pro Display XDR in 2023 alongside a new Mac Pro. The new Mac Pro part of the rumor came true, but there wasnt a new display with it.
At this price point, it would be reasonable to expect state-of-the-art tech, not the best that 2019 could offer. ProMotion, mini-LED, and a bump from 32 to 36 inches and from 6K to 7K would all be on the cards for a new Apple display, and its about time for Apples pro customers to get them.
Foundry
Siri
Regular readers, my apologies: youve heard this all before. But I vowed to keep complaining about Siri until Apple did something about it, and I dont break vows lightly.
Right now, as outlined frequently on this site, Siri is not fit for purpose, facing glaring issues with its accuracy and intrusiveness. Unfortunately, fixing the accuracy of a service requires an acknowledgment that it was inaccurate in the first place, which is s why this doesnt appeal as a high-priority project. But Apple could finesse its way past that roadblock by announcing Siri 2.0 and focusing on the new smart features this providessince thats another area where Siri is behind its rivalsand then casually mentioning in passing that its the most accurate voice assistant weve ever made.
Considering how crucial Siri is to certain Apple products (namely the HomePod) and how deeply embedded it is in the entire Apple ecosystem, I find it odd that the company didnt give it a major refresh in 2023. Perhaps it will get one in 2024, but I wont be holding my breath. Or hula-ing my braids, as Siri 1.0 would put it.
Apple Inc
