The bigger, the better. That’s what the old saying goes, anyway. But, to paraphrase Sir Isaac Newton, each adage has an equal and opposite re-adage. Example: good things come in small packages.
Lately, however, Apple seems to have settled on the old adage. The company is making bigger and bigger phones, laptops and iPads, and while there are clearly a lot of customers who covet these expansive devices, the part of the market that might prefer something a little more compact is increasingly left out in the cold.
As someone who sees the value of small devices, I sense that there are many opportunities for Apple to consider cutting back on some of its product lines – not just the old approach. ” ultra thin”. So let’s be small.
Half a phone is better than nothing
The small crowd of phones may be in the minority, but it is vocal. Apple has continued to expand the upper size limits of its smartphones, with its latest line starting to look like buckets of movie popcorn: large (iPhone 11 Pro), extra large (iPhone 11) and super mega extra large (the iPhone 11 Pro Max).
And it is understandable: when you spend the whole day looking at the screen of your smartphone, I can see why you want this screen to be as large as possible. The real problem arises when you want to use the device with one hand or, perhaps – unthinkable, I know! – put it in a pocket.
The iPhone SE was, of course, the last really small phone from Apple. Even Apple’s smallest current phone, the iPhone 8, surpasses it in comparison. And while an SE successor is imminent, it should follow in the footsteps of the price of its predecessor rather than in terms of physical dimensions, where it will probably look like the iPhone 8 (and 7, 6 and 6 before) . he).
Will we ever see a tiny Apple phone? It certainly doesn’t look like it will be soon, but I never say never. My biggest hope in this area is the preponderance of foldable and rollable screens that have started to emerge in the past year. While the technology is still far from new, it is still in its infancy, and it would be short-sighted to say that it will never reach a point where it is really useful. Someday, we may all be equipped with small phones that can unfold into larger screens, giving us the best of both worlds.
Make mine a mini
Last fall, Apple unveiled its 16.1-inch MacBook Pro, the largest portable Mac since the 17-inch MacBook Pro left the market in 2012. More recently, rumor has it that the company is also considering launching a MacBook 14.1-inch pro at some point in the not-too-distant future, getting stuck between this 16-inch model and its 13-inch little brother.
It’s a strange choice for me, as it seems that the market for a product between these two existing MacBook Pros is small. (Unless, of course, it replaces the 13-inch model, which is hardly unlikely.) low of this range is wide open, especially since Apple abandoned the 12-inch MacBook a few years ago. As a loyal owner of an 11-inch MacBook Air, I would say there is a lot to be done for this small size. It is large enough to accommodate a full-size keyboard, but small enough to fit comfortably on an airplane tray table, for example. In addition, it is light enough that you can throw it and an iPad in a bag without having the impression of carrying a brick.
Is there hope for the little Mac? Although nothing is said for the pipeline at this time, I remain optimistic. If the recent buzz surrounding Apple’s transition to custom ARM chips is confirmed, a small MacBook would be an ideal inaugural model: after all, these are not the engines of the Apple Mac range, so it is likely to please those who wish to exchange performance for a smaller and lighter footprint.
As for those who say “you just have to get an iPad”, well, I to have an iPad, but there are still a lot of tasks I just prefer to do on my Mac. And, frankly, I should be able to do it on a smaller screen.
Long live the phablet?
Speaking of the iPad, this is a place where Apple has actually become small, even if sometimes without enthusiasm. Despite several years between updates, the iPad mini was redesigned last spring to add support for Apple Pencil, a better processor and more storage. It seems clear that Apple Is believe that there is a market for a smaller version of the tablet, otherwise it would probably have let it quietly go out.
Let the iPad lead the way, I say. This shows that Apple can make a smaller version of one of its devices that is not ridiculously undernourished, not at an exorbitant price and that has a lot of useful niches. While Apple is a company that often prefers to take a unique approach, it is clear that the saying that the company should take to heart is really “the more we are crazy”.