projects coming to fruition, only to be sprung on an
unsuspecting public the next year. And so, once again,
I present one man’s attempt to guess what projects will
finally become products in 2020.iPhone: More of the same?
The iPhone 11 Plus is the third iteration of the iPhone X
and the iPhone 11 is the second iteration of the iPhone
XR. Unless Apple has a surprise iPhone redesign up its
sleeve, 2020 is due to bring us the not-entirely-exciting
third and fourth iterations of those familiar products.
The truth is, Apple can’t reinvent the wheel every
year, as much as the media and many iPhone fans would
like it to. (Apple would like it, too – sales tend to spike
when there’s an appreciably new iPhone design, and
sag when the designs start to get old. 2020 is shaping
up to be a sag.)
Still, rumours from the supply chain suggest that
Apple is planning on countering iPhone ennui with
volume, volume, volume – namely two new iPhone
models designed to nestle among the three familiar
existing ones. One of these isn’t exactly new – it’s the
long-anticipated return of the iPhone SE concept.
Unfortunately for fans of small phones, the actual
iPhone SE concept isn’t a small phone, but a lower-cost
phone that uses the previous-generation body style.
That’s why it make more sense that a new iPhone SE
will take the internals from an iPhone 11 and place
them in the familiar iPhone 6/7/8 case. That gets Apple
a lower-priced entry phone again without needing to
keep selling the iPhone 8. This seems like a sensible
strategy, and I’ll go on the record as predicting that thisprojectscomingtofruition,onlytobesprungonan
unsuspectingpublicthenextyear.Andso,onceagain,
Ipresentoneman’sattempttoguesswhatprojectswill
finallybecomeproductsin2020.
iPhone:Moreofthesame?
TheiPhone 11 PlusisthethirditerationoftheiPhoneX
andtheiPhone 11 istheseconditerationoftheiPhone
XR.UnlessApplehasasurpriseiPhoneredesignupits
sleeve, 2020 isduetobringusthenot-entirely-exciting
thirdandfourthiterationsofthosefamiliarproducts.
Thetruthis,Applecan’treinventthewheelevery
year,asmuchasthemediaandmanyiPhonefanswould
likeitto.(Applewouldlikeit,too–salestendtospike
whenthere’sanappreciablynewiPhonedesign,and
sagwhenthedesignsstarttogetold. 2020 isshaping
uptobeasag.)
Still,rumoursfromthesupplychainsuggestthat
AppleisplanningoncounteringiPhoneennuiwith
volume,volume,volume–namelytwonewiPhone
modelsdesignedtonestleamongthethreefamiliar
existingones.Oneoftheseisn’texactlynew–it’sthe
long-anticipatedreturnoftheiPhoneSEconcept.
Unfortunatelyforfansofsmallphones,theactual
iPhoneSEconceptisn’tasmallphone,butalower-cost
phonethatusestheprevious-generationbodystyle.
That’swhyitmakemoresensethatanewiPhoneSE
willtaketheinternalsfromaniPhone 11 andplace
theminthefamiliariPhone6/7/8case.ThatgetsApple
alower-pricedentryphoneagainwithoutneedingto
keepsellingtheiPhone8.Thisseemslikeasensible
strategy,andI’llgoontherecordaspredictingthatthis