With the 10 year anniversary of the iPhone approaching, Apple will also look to launch this year’s iteration of their smartphone. Whether they call it the iPhone 7s, or iPhone 8, or totally rename it with a new launch it will be a huge step forward. Apple has been criticized as of late for their lack of innovation. Other than a few minor upgrades, their latest iPhone 7 lacked a step forward. So how does Apple get back in the driver’s seat? Here are a few upgrades Apple could work in.
With their next operating system, the company needs to focus on the user. One of the biggest knocks against them is the lack of customization. They don’t need to get crazy and change the software altogether. People love iOS above all. Samsung users love their phones because they can customize it as an extension of their personality.
[Rick]
So why can’t Apple?
Background Images: While the placement of apps o the iPhone make it neat and organized it lacks a custom feel. The don’t need to stray too far from that model, but why not do more? One of the quickest ways to improve would be multiple background images. With iOS, if you fill up your phone with multiple apps they’ll create a new page for them. Each page should allow it’s own background image. If all the apps on one page and you want your favorite artist as the background, it should be allowed. If you want pictures of you and your significant other as a slideshow behind your apps, go for it. One stock background image is too plain and boring.
Upcoming releases: With Apple Music, iPhone has changed the way we listened to music on our phone. Now you can search, listen to, and download all your favorite music to your phone. You can even follow artists, but why limit it? Why aren’t we allowed to follow these artists and get alerts when their new music drops. With the calendar widget, we should be able to see when the artist has a new album coming out. Why not an alert when an artist drops a new single?
Apple Streaming: They may have missed the streaming boat behind Netflix and Hulu. However, iTunes and Apple Music is what made them so popular. Why not bring that in for television as well? They could even extend it to shows in iTunes. Follow a show in iTunes and get an alert 15 minutes before it airs so you don’t miss out. Take it one step further and add a “Rent Now” and it is available whenever you get back. With their AppleTV, they could offer a streaming channel as well. They don’t need to go crazy with exclusive content, but if they can do it for music they should for tv as well.
Get rid of all the buttons: Apple’s reasoning behind getting rid of the headphone jack was they needed the extra space on the phone for a larger battery. They also wanted to make the phone more water resistant. Don’t stop there. Between “Hey, Siri” and 3D touch, all the other buttons are obsolete as well. You don’t need a volume button. That could easily be a forced touch button in the control center. Swipe to change volume or hold it down to switch to and from silent mode. Do we still need a power button? Nope. Instead of holding the home button and bringing up Siri, hold it down to power off. Buttons only make the phone bulkier. By the time you get a case on the phone they become a hassle to push. Get rid of them all together and use the space for better hardware in the phone.
Itunes: Even the buttons in your music player are unnecessary. Instead of tapping next or previous, swipe the album cover to advance. Why not use 3D touch here as well. Hold down on the current song to add it to a playlist, play the whole album, or take you to the artist’s page. From there you can fill the space with other features.
Apple has spent a lot of time making phones bigger and better. However, they’ve also spent too much time on repeat. Time to hit next and advance to the next round of features. Sure a dual camera is great. Mario Run was for a short time. Now it’s time to get back to making phones that people love. Not just for fanboys. Make the phone more customizable. Take away the old and outdated features. Bring new ideas to the table. The once innovative company seems to have a blueprint drawn up and stuck to it. If they want to reconnect with users, it’s time to veer from that path. The next iPhone will most likely be launched in September. Will it be the disappointment their previous release was?
No buttons – yes! And also make the physical size equal to the existing display size. To recover the battery space from this make the phone slightly thicker and curve the back (like the iPhone 3G); this will make it easier to pick up from hard surfaces and feel more comfortable in the hand.