Apple's New iPhone Promises No Radical Upgrades

Although we are just over two months away from Tim Cook standing on stage to reveal ''the best iPhone ever'' the supply chain and peripheral manufacturers are telling us everything we need to know about this year's new iPhone and it’s not pretty,

The latest details come from Olixar, showcacsed by the team at MobileFun. The protective clear case design shows that Apple - as expected - is not making any major changes to the tired design introduced by the iPhone X in 2017.

The stand out feature of the ‘oven hob’ camera housing clearly shows that the move to a triple lens camera (along with the flash and other sensors) dominates the rear of the iPhone with the sort of subtlety that Steve Jobs would have thrown back at his design team demanding a rethink. While the camera bulge is now minimised because of the depth of the protection over the rest of the rear, the visuals remain disruptive.

Neither is the hoped-for switch to USB-C visible. Although the beta code for iOS 13 suggests that the lightning port will be replaced by the universal connector, It looks like the lure of having control over the peripheral industry that uses the connector will prevent Apple joining the rest of the world.

Finally, Apple is continuing to use a wide notch at the top of the screen to facilitate the forward-looking cameras and Face ID sensors. While this keeps the design language consistent and offers Apple an iconic shape, the fashion has moved on. With  more smartphones minimising the size of the cut-outs, some moving to small punched holes, and others exploring the option of mounting the camera under the screen elements; Apple’s decision to remain with the first generation design is lazy at best.

An ugly design choice that flies in the face of everything Apple is known for; a lack of progress towards standards that would reduce electronic waste; and a reluctance to keep pace with the modern design language of smartphones.

I’ve no doubt that the 2019 iPhones will continue to sell well, but selling well is not the same as exhibiting growth year on year that will provide a larger install base that will be needed if Apple is to transition to a software and services company.