By John Moltz
July 28, 2023 2:00 PM PT
This Week in Apple: Banish the bezel
Apple continues its ongoing war with unsightly blank spaces, and that may end up costing us all a little more. The App Store follies continue as Apple is caught in its own game of tower defense.
Bezel-bub
These are tough times for bezel fans.
“Report: Apple pushing suppliers to develop truly ‘bezel-less’ iPhone displays”
One wonders what bezels did to Apple. Did John Ternus have an ugly breakup with a bezel in college? Did a bezel kill Johny Srouji’s brother? Whatever the case, Apple has declared war on the hideous borders that besmirch our mobile computing experience, seeking to send them back to the hell dimension from whence they came.
This ongoing effort to force us to hold our iPhones more and more daintily, like 18th century appraisers of Fabergé eggs, does not come without a cost, both monetarily and in time. The iPhone 15 Pro’s reduced bezels are already causing headaches for suppliers.
A report last week suggested that the iPhone 15 Pro could face severe supply shortages due to production issues for the new display technology.
While I’m all for larger screen sizes on smaller devices, I am forced to wonder…does anyone at Apple have thumbs? If so, where do they put them?
How many kidneys do I really need?
Relatedly, you might want to check the couch cushions, because iPhones look like they’re going to get more expensive.
(Also, your Apple TV remote is probably in there.)
“iPhone 15 Pro Max Likely to Start at $1,199 to $1,299, Says Analyst”
This isn’t that surprising. After reports indicated that the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max sold better than the non-Pro iPhone 14 models, Apple might feel it can…afford…to raise the price.
“You prefer expensive phones? We can do that.”
This won’t be the end, either. As you may recall, initial rumors suggested Apple would ship a foldable phone this year. Well, that is not going to happen, but never fear! The rumor mill cannot fail, it can only be failed. What it meant to say is that Apple will ship a foldable iPhone in 2025.
“Foldable iPhone in 2025 would help segment hit $100M/year within two years”
And how will it do that? By being even more expensive.
Both Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold and Google’s Pixel Fold start at $1,800, so if you think Apple’s not going to charge a premium for a foldable iPhone, well, what company have you been watching?
App Store rumble
Remember when “fun with the App Store” meant downloading Ramp Champ or Super Monkey Ball and blowing a few hours flicking and tilting? These days it’s following all the legal wrangling.
Apple’s long-running fight with Epic is going all the way to the top, as the Fortnite maker has had a fit in the Apple Store and is demanding to talk to the 9th Circuit Court’s manager.
“Epic Games asks US Supreme Court let App Store order take effect”
Epic Games on Thursday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to allow a lower court ruling to take effect against Apple Inc that could force the iPhone maker to change payment practices in its App Store.
Apple has been given 90 days to appeal the ruling before the injunction would go into effect. Epic has decried this as “far too lenient” and also complained that Apple got an extra pudding cup which was “totally unfair”.
This is not the only App Store-related complaint Apple has received this week.
“Apple Facing $1 Billion UK Antitrust Lawsuit Over App Store Fees”
The suit accuses Apple of abusing a dominant position by charging a 15% to 30% fee on in-app sales in the App Store, a policy that has been criticized by antitrust regulators in other countries.
$1 billion is, of course, just the asking price, but it’s a price that Apple might actually notice, as opposed to the relatively nickel-and-dime penalties it’s had to pay to date. The company is clearly content to keep on slugging this out no matter how many forces come to its walls.
OK, now I want to go play Kingdom Rush.
[John Moltz is a Six Colors contributor. You can find him on Mastodon at Mastodon.social/@moltz and he sells items with references you might get on Cotton Bureau.]