Smarter Smartphones Coming Soon

The Apple iPhone extravaganza is upon us, set for September 9th — only one week away. But anticipation for this year's pending updates seems weak. Rumored new features sound underwhelming. I think the iPhone 16s will be less interesting than any of the previous year models except maybe the iPhone 14s, which were lackluster. We're about to see the 18th version of the iPhone, a glass rectangle. Sometime in the last few years, the iPhone peaked. So what about that?

aiPhone

Well this year, Apple Intelligence (AI) is supposed to be the highlight. Yet most AI is hype, which makes the upcoming iPhones about as exciting as watching paint dry. I doubt most "normal" people will understand or be allured by AI features on iPhone. A smarter Siri isn’t much of a selling point (Amazon’s Alexa didn’t change the world). Apple’s image creation tool looks gimmicky. That said, of course this blogger (a tech geek) is interested in the Grammarly-like proofreading capabilities. At least that may be like watching orange paint dry.

AI is just software though. I hope the new iPhone 16s showcase new or much better hardware, like the periscope or pentaprism camera zoom lens. Last year's Action button was a hardware update that, while I've never tried it, seems good…but also kind of meh. In fact, I'm far more eager to someday gain the USB-C port, of all things. Another new button (camera shutter) is now rumored to come. But I thought Apple wanted fewer buttons (less chance of water ingress, minimalism).

Beyond size or button variations, the iPhone form factor seems set in stone. Hardware advances — adding a front camera, TouchID, a telephoto lens, FaceID, an ultra-wide lens, MagSafe — seem less frequent and less surprising. But surely Apple will try a few new hardware tricks. How about flipping or folding devices?

Moto Razr Flip in Spritz Orange

Flip Phone

For the first time, I'm interested in bending-screen phones (despite the crease). My oldest son now owns a Samsung Galaxy Flip 4. After checking it out, I like what I see and feel. I also spent a long time at Best Buy recently, trying out both the newest Z Flip 6 and Z Fold 6. I could never cough up $1,800 for a phone, but that Z Fold 6 is super impressive. The new Motorola Razr Flip in a beautiful Spritz Orange color is also tempting. If I were not entrenched in the Apple ecosystem, I would likely buy it. I miss fun colorful phones! That orange Razr has personality and pizzazz.

Zen and Zest

The steady growth of flip phones may push Apple to innovate likewise in the near future. Yet the forthcoming iPhone 16 already has more serious competition in its own back yard. The previous iPhones (12 through 15) remain excellent today — other than short battery life, my iPhone 12 mini still runs great. And these can be bought refurbished for much less money than new phones. Thrifty!

While most previous iPhones won't run Apple Intelligence, average consumers likely won’t mind. My iPhone is already a "smart" phone, and sometimes I wish it were, in fact, a bit more dumb. Lacking “intelligence” is a feature. The iPhone needs a reset, “dumbed” down to a simpler version…but that’s another blog post.

Where else should Apple innovate the iPhone? I think it should loosen up the App store in the US like it has in the EU. It should continue to advance the cameras — larger sensors plus bigger lenses would be great. I'd like to see an iPhone with 3-day battery life. An e-Ink display could be interesting, useful, and more affordable.

And please Apple, make an orange colored iPhone. Not a “We saved money on pigment” orange. I mean a “We spared no expense” orange. Be bold. Don’t think different; think ORANGE!