Apple in 2022
If we had to summarize our 2021 Apple annual review, it would be the words “privacy”, “critical” and “less surprising” that are most memorable to us. And for good reason: the news has been dominated by investigations into Apple's dominance and in terms of products there have been few really new devices with significant improvements. But which developments will predominate in 2022 when it comes to Apple? Aside from all the upcoming Apple products of 2022, what else can we expect from Apple in 2022? We look ahead with our five predictions for Apple in 2022.
- Apple's abuse of power
- Chip shortage
- More products and services in the Netherlands
- Transition to Apple Silicon
- Finally something new again
#1 Apple's position of power: adjustments inevitable
Over the past three years, various investigations have been launched into the possible dominant position of companies such as Apple and Google. Apple in particular is under a magnifying glass in various countries, including in the Netherlands. The lawsuit between Epic Games and Apple is still pending as both parties appealed. Apple was granted a postponement for making the mandatory changes to the App Store, such as allowing other payment methods.
An investigation by the ACM into the abuse of power in the App Store was also underway in the Netherlands. The agency recently ruled that Apple should allow additional payment methods for dating apps, but that may have even more consequences for other apps. And last year, Europe concluded that Apple was violating European competition rules. In other words: Apple is under attack from all sides and 2022 will probably be the year that adjustments are inevitable. What exactly that will be and whether Apple will find ways to soften the changes that have been imposed, remains to be seen.
#2 Chip shortage also affects Apple
In 2021, the chip shortage was noticeable for almost all manufacturers of products with a plug. Whether it's speakers, cars, telephones or fitness trackers, there is a chip in almost everything these days. And due to the high demand and the ongoing damage from the shutdown of the factories at the start of the corona crisis, many manufacturers will still suffer from large shortages in 2022. Apple already warned at the end of 2021 that the delivery time of Apple products would increase considerably, and everyone who wanted a new Apple product has noticed that. By 2021, the chip shortage would already have slowed some products and we don't think that will be solved overnight in 2022, even though Apple has generally made good deals with suppliers of the chips. But you will undoubtedly notice that on the shelves this year as well.
More products and services from Apple in the Netherlands
At the end of 2021, Apple already made the 4G Apple Watch and Dutch Siri available with us on the HomePod. We hope Apple continues that trend and the early signs are good. First of all, we think that more providers will support the Cellular Apple Watch, including KPN.
It is almost certain that the HomePod mini will make its appearance in the Netherlands this year. With the Dutch Siri on the HomePod as a recent addition, it is only a matter of time before it is the turn of the Netherlands. The HomePod mini will probably be available in the Netherlands this quarter.
Even more interesting is the rollout of Apple's own aggregated map content for Apple Maps. Apple has been replacing the maps in Apple Maps with its own collected material for about three years now, including features like Look Around and the 3D view. In April and May last year, Apple Map cars crisscrossed the Netherlands, equipped with cameras to map the roads and more. All the necessary information seems to have been recorded by now, so that the next step for Apple is to process and test the cards in the Netherlands. We would therefore not be surprised if it is the turn of the Netherlands sometime at the end of 2022 and from then on we can navigate through the entire country with Apple's own collected map material.
Justin O'Beirne, expert when it comes to Apple Maps, keeps up with all the developments around Apple's map service. Any change in map materials is closely monitored. In his latest analysis for the coming year, he has set out, based on all kinds of criteria (Apple's market share, number of Apple Stores, which countries may have the highest priority for Apple to roll out the new map material. The Netherlands is in the list of largest contenders, including Austria, Germany, France and Sweden, so we're hopeful it will happen this year.
We also hope that Apple will also release Fitness+ in the Netherlands this year. We are also hopeful about that, since Apple has simply added subtitles in Germany, among other places. It shouldn't be much more work to do this for the Netherlands as well.
#4 Apple Silicon transition completed
One of the most significant developments at Apple has been the move from Intel to Apple Silicon for the Macs. Apple announced in 2020 that the transition will take about two years to start, and there is every indication that Apple will make it. In June 2022 we expect the announcements of the new Mac Pro that contains an Apple Silicon chip. It marks a major turning point for Apple as it reduces their reliance on companies like Intel. In addition, the M1 and M1 Pro/Max chips have already proven that the performance is significantly better than the previously used Intel chips. This is partly because it takes a long time before the latest Intel chips are suitable for Macs.
After the transition to Apple Silicon, we expect Apple to design many more components itself, such as its own 5G modem, although it remains to be seen whether we can 2022 to see the result. Apple would at least have a new team working on wireless chips.
#5 A completely new product category
In the ten years that Tim Cook has been in charge of Apple, there has really only been one new product category: the Apple Watch. Apple has released various services at that time and of course came with the AirPods and AirTag, although these are mainly accessories. Apple's own AR and VR headset could just be announced in 2022. That makes 2022 a very special year and could be an important starting signal for even more similar products from other brands. Of course, there are already countless headsets with virtual and augmented reality, but they are mainly for the niche.
A new product category is often an important moment for Apple. Whether it was the iPod, iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch: it often causes a shift in the market and the interest of many users. We can't wait for Apple to finally unveil this project and hopefully we'll be amazed.
Read our overview of Apple products for 2022, in which we go deeper into which iPhones, iPads , Apple Watches and more you can expect.