In 2017, for the first time in years since the release of the iPhone X, Apple has thoroughly redesigned the iPhone, removing the Home button and adopting a full-screen OLED. In addition, Apple released the new HomePod smart speaker and Apple Watch After three years of silence, iPad sales began to recover.
Based on this, Apple will also face a difficult task in 2018. HomePod is going to be on sale soon, while Apple will also upgrade its Mac and launch the flagship iPhone that will take over.
This sounds simple, but we still have a few questions to ask Apple, Apple declined to comment on the article.
1. iPhone product line will be like?
Part of the attraction when Apple introduced the first iPhone in 2007 was that it was for everyone, and you would be using the same phone as a basketball star or movie star, as long as you're willing to spend $ 500.
But gradually, Apple began to expand its product line, which now offers 349 USD for the iPhone SE and 1150 for the iPhone X. In addition, Apple also has a variety of other options. On the other hand, Apple also retains the older phone models , In the European and American markets and China and India and other emerging markets sales.
Earlier rumors suggest that Apple may launch three high-end phones like iPhone X next year, as well as follow-up products for the iPhone SE.
The result may be that the iPhone product line is more complex than ever before, which raises the question: Will Apple retain the existing models as it moves forward with the next generation of products?
The new iPhone will feature an iPhone X-like design, indicating that the Home button will disappear faster than we expected.
2. How can Siri attract users, especially in home environments?
Earlier, Apple beat rivals by marketing Siri, an artificial intelligence software that made the machine look more like a real person, but Google and Amazon's Artificial Intelligence Assistant outperformed Siri with smart speaker products.
Amazon Echo Smart Speakers and Alexa Voice Assistant currently dominate the home market.According to Consumer Intelligence Research Partners data, since the introduction of the end of 2014, this smart speaker has sold 20 million units in the United States, accounting for 73% of the market share .
Apple's action has been a bit late in November this year, Apple postponed sales of HomePod, the smart speaker market to Echo, Google Home and other companies such as Sonos products.Even by 2018 HomePod sales, Siri is only this product A small part.
Although smart homes are still in their infancy, Apple could miss huge opportunities if it takes more time to get things done and Apple needs to find ways to let Siri not only play the music the user wants, but also Users can get the trust, to help users lock the door.
Bob O'Donnell, an analyst at Technalysis Research, said: 'Siri must perform well on HomePod and if not, it will be a big blow to Siri's development.'
Ottoral's research shows that 50% of smart speaker users use voice assistants at least once a day, compared with only 30% on smartphones.
Apple must make sure that Siri becomes smarter and more useful, and must move faster.
3. Apple's augmented reality will go? Virtual reality project situation is how?
With the release of iOS 11 and the introduction of ARKit, an augmented reality development tool, Apple finally got into the realm of augmented reality, a technology that superimposes digital images on real-world screens. For Apple, augmented reality means new interactive applications such as , IKEA related software lets you dress up your apartment in a virtual environment, and Pokémon Go brings gameplay.
Apple CEO Tim Cook compared the potential of augmented reality to that of smartphones: Earlier this year, in an interview with The Independent, he said: 'We do not think that the iPhone targets specific groups of people, National or vertical market, which is for all, and I think the same is true of augmented reality. '
So far, there are about 1,000 augmented reality applications on the iPhone and iPad, and that figure needs to be higher if we want Augmented Reality to reach Cook's level of expectations.
In addition to augmented reality software, there is anecdotal evidence that Apple is still developing augmented reality headsets, and it is unclear when such products will be available in the marketplace and whether Apple can avoid the mistakes that go with Google Glass.
Apple is also experimenting with virtual reality, but in this space, Apple will need to face rivals such as Samsung, HTC and Facebook.
4. Apple will further develop entertainment business?
Apple iTunes used to be one of the major platforms for users to buy movies and music, and Apple is making some content at the moment. Apple released home-made plays through Apple Music service, and the work in this area is still expanding. For example, Apple signed an agreement to release A TV series starring Jennifer Aniston and Ricky Witherspoon, and a TV series from Spielberg.
But with the original content, Apple does not seem to be as serious as Amazon and Netflix. Some TV shows get mixed reviews.
However, as the video becomes more and more important, Apple can do much more.
The most interesting question is whether Apple will launch its own video service, or provide a basket of television programs.Perhaps the Apple TV, once considered Apple sideline will play a more important role.
5. Touch technology will be large-scale access to the Mac computer?
Year after year, Apple has denied launching a touch-screen Mac or a mix of Macs and iPads, which Apple does not think is the best way for users to interact with their computers.
The solution that Apple came up with in 2016 was the touchbar TouchBar on the MacBook Pro and the ability to make the iPad more notebook-like. TouchBar replaces the function keys on regular MacBook Pro and can be quickly and easily pre-set for certain Features, such as emoji.
However, users still expect Apple to add more touch functionality to Macs, some users like Touch Bar, but some users do not, and for many, iPad Pro can not completely replace notebooks.
Carolina Milanesi, an analyst at Creative Strategies, said: 'Users are increasingly looking to touch the computer and are not going to be excluded.'