2014 was a massive year for Apple Inc., and one in which the already massive consumer electronics corporation really stretched its lead at the head of the industry. Not only did its major rival Samsung experience some sales and financial difficulties during the last twelve months, but Apple went from strength to strength, after answering the initial concerns of the market regarding revenue and new product lines.
With fresh niches remaining an important issue for Apple in 2015, the tech giant should have a rash of exciting new products planned for release during the calendar year. Here ValueWalk looks at what we can expect to see from Apple in the next twelve months.
Apple Watch
Apple’s first smartwatch was announced in September 2014, and the Apple Watch promises to ensure that the smartwatch becomes a mainstream device for the first time. With 38mm and 42mm versions promised, and a trendy design already unveiled, the Apple Watch will be big news early in 2015.
Apple Inc. – iPad Pro
With the tablet market having receded slightly after the incandescent early existence of the iPad, Apple Inc. chose to freshen up its range of tablets in 2014. The new releases were well received, but Apple will once again update its tablet computers during 2015.
The major focus of this will be the iPad Pro, a high-spec tablet with a larger screen size that may be as big as 12.9-inches. This device should be particularly popular with the enterprise community, and it could be the most technically impressive tablet computer to be released thus far. It is unsure when this strongly rumored device will see the light of day, but it will probably be during the latter months of 2015.
Apple Inc. – iPad Air and iPad Mini
But the iPad Pro won’t be the only tablet release from Apple, we should also expect updated iPad Air and iPod Mini devices as well. Such rumors have suggested that Apple could consider discontinuing the iPod Mini range, but this appears to be pretty baseless at this point in time. Expect processor and spec upgrades, but not a major design change.
Apple Inc. – iPhone 7
A new iPhone is obviously a racing certainty in the new year, and the iPhone 7 will probably be released around September time. Building on the once again strong performance of the iPhone 6, there is some debate as to what degree Apple will reboot the iPhone concept with this next-generation device. It’s too early for any solid notion of what the iPhone 7 will entail, but possible physical improvements could center around the inclusion of Sapphire Glass, while there will doubtless be spec increases as well.
Apple Inc. – iPhone 6s
Aside from the ‘mainstream’ iPhone, rumours persist that Apple may release a smaller version of the iPhone with a 4-inch screen at some point early in 2015. This would seem to fit in with the general ethos of Apple, but there have been no solid leaks to really confirm the existence of this device. But it would make sense from the perspective of producing new product niches, so this could be a rumor that certainly materialises at some point late in Q1 or early in Q2 of 2015.
Apple Inc. – 12-Inch MacBook
Many of Apple’s products are of course acclaimed, but it is generally accepted that the MacBook range is the pinnacle of laptop computing. But Apple is never one to rest on its laurels, and 2015 should see the MacBook range being updated once more. This 12-inch MacBook should include Intel’s 14-nanometer Broadwell chips, which are set to deliver 30 percent faster processing and greater power efficiency.
The ultra-slim 12-inch Retina MacBook will be the star of this product range, and we should see another strong performance for Apple laptops in 2015. We can expect this particular MacBook to arrive somewhere in mid-to-late period of next year.
Apple Inc. – iMac
PCs remain the dominant desktop computers by some distance, but Apple is beginning to make significant gains in this marketplace. Apple introduced the 27-inch Retina iMac in 2014, which featured the first ever 5K screen in a desktop, and the range of desktop machines produced by Apple continues to gain plaudits.
2015 should see new versions of the 27-inch Retina iMac, but this time featuring the powerful Broadwell processor, as well as updated 21-inch models. New chipsets are not expected until the middle of next year, so this would suggest that the new iMacs may hit the market sometime around fall.
Apple TV
With other product lines proving extremely successful, Apple has to some extent neglected the Apple TV product in recent years. This device has not received an upgrade of significance since March 2012, which means that it is ripe to be refreshed during the next calendar year.
If Apple can sort out its outstanding content deals then we can expect a redesigned set-top box in 2015, with an increased emphasis on the App Store and support for gamers.
Apple Television Set
An intriguing rumor which persists is that Apple will launch an actual television set at some point. This would seem to be a natural move for the corporation in many ways, and it seems certain that many consumers all over the world would love to put a large Apple product at the center of their living-rooms, considering the design quality which Apple invariably achieves with its devices.
However, this particular product remains very much a rumor. Although Apple is looking to release new product lines, it is generally pretty cautious with regard to over-egging the pudding in terms of new products, and the existence and release of this product in 2015 must remain pretty dubious, no matter how much Apple fans would love to see materialize.
Apple Inc. – OS X 10.11 and iOS 9
Finally, Apple will release new operating systems for all of its machines during 2015. These will probably focus on Apple Pay functionality in particular, as the mobile payment system becomes more widespread, and Apple Watch collaboration is also likely to be central to feature sets.
