By John Moltz
December 27, 2024 2:00 PM PT
This Week in Apple: Inching up
Apple teases an Apple TV event of some kind, but new hardware won’t be coming until later in the year. And for a company that loves accessibility, it sure seems determined to make iPhone screens too big for a lot of people to use comfortably.
Remember, remember, the fourth and fifth of Janvember
Apple has taken to social media to tease an upcoming TV+ event on January 4th and 5th.
Apple’s images have a tagline that says “See for yourself,” but it isn’t clear what Apple has planned.
Could it be another “day we’ll never forget”? Eh, probably not. And we already kind of forgot that one, to be honest. Speculation revolves around either a free trial period for TV+ or a preview of upcoming shows. Personally, I hope it’s an open draft. Put your name in and you can be cast in Severance, Slow Horses, Silo or one of the other hit shows on Apple TV+ that starts with an ‘S’.
I’d love to be a sec unit in an upcoming season of “Murderbot”.
But, yeah, it’s probably just a preview.
Apple TV minus
Speaking of Apple’s TV offerings, the current batch of rumors indicated that we can expect to see a brand new Apple TV device some time in 2025.
Did they add another K when I wasn’t looking? I can’t even use all the Ks I have now. Not with my eyesight.
It’s actually not entirely clear what a new Apple TV would provide. Mark Gurman has speculated it would have a faster Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip and possibly a built-in camera. That doesn’t seem like it’ll drive a lot of upgrades.
But what if it also had a faster chip? That, presumably, would be capable of running Apple Intelligence? Picture this: Image Playground on the big screen!
Nah, I’m good.
OK, fine, how about a cheaper Apple TV? Ming-chi Kuo says he believes Apple will once again ship a sub-$100 Apple TV unit. As long as it doesn’t run Apple Intelligence, I’ll take ten.
If you see a Pop Socket, they blew it
Apple may have canceled its truly small smartphone, but it still somehow makes the best small smartphone, according to some.
“iPhone 16 is surprisingly the best small phone of 2024 according to MKBHD”
Just imagine how much better of a best small smartphone of 2024 it would have been if it had been even smaller. Say… mini, for example.
I know. It’s a ridiculous idea. Whoever heard of a small smartphone?
What’s hilarious to me is that I distinctly recall a bunch of people trying to argue that Apple used a large-handed hand model to advertise the original iPhone in order to make it look smaller, because people were arguing it was too big. Now everyone wants phones the size of dinner plates.
Well, at least Apple is surely taking this success as a sign that it got it juuust right and can slow down on relentlessly making the next iteration of every iPhone ever bigger and bigger.
Now, to take a biiig sip of coffee before I read the iPhone 17 rumors.
The iPhone 17 could measure in at 6.3 inches, up from 6.1 inches…
PFFFFFFFFT.
iPhone sizes will continue to increase and morale can get bent, apparently.
With the iPhone 17 Air expected to be in the 6.5 to 6.6-inch range, that jabs the thumb even further into the eye of those of us who prefer smaller phones. Come 2026, the smallest phone Apple will be selling is likely to be the 6.1-inch iPhone SE 4.
Looks like I picked a bad year to get back on the Upgrade Program.
And to stop sniffing glue.
Ha, like I could stop sniffing glue.
It’s only Elmer’s, though. I just love the smell of it.
[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.]