Three small methods Apple could make a huge impact in 2023

Too usually expertise firms get centered on the brand new, shiny options that get added to each launch, touting the most recent and best capabilities of their merchandise. And, positive, who doesn’t love new and glossy?

But if you’re an enormous tech firm with a number of platforms, tons of merchandise, and a protracted historical past, that prioritization of the brand new can have a deleterious impact on all these options which might be, frankly, a bit extra well-worn.

As Apple will get began on its 2023 agenda, there are just a few current options that would actually profit from some love and a spotlight, reasonably than the normal strategy of the corporate patting itself on the again for a job nicely executed because it focuses its sights as an alternative on the longer term.

The levels of administration

Multitasking on the iPad has been a holy grail for what seems like a decade, and Apple’s taken a crack at this a number of instances…however by no means fairly nailed it. The most up-to-date try was, in fact, Stage Manager, and whereas the corporate has made some small tweaks to the characteristic in current level releases, it’s removed from a completed venture.

As somebody who makes an attempt to make use of Stage Manager every day, I’m nonetheless pissed off not solely by bizarre interface inconsistencies (why does this floating keyboard palette obscure key components of my apps?) but additionally by efficiency points (I’ve a number of apps which might be slower or crashier when in Stage Manager mode). In common, I discover utilizing it like swimming upstream, with one hand tied behind my again: you may see the place you wish to go, however getting there’s a severe sufficient exercise that you simply surprise “why am I doing this?”

Stage Manager continues to have a whole lot of promise, however it can solely attain its full potential if Apple retains working at it. So, right here’s hoping that iPadOS 17 brings some extra refinements and enhancements—and, heck, if Apple needs to place out some smaller releases between at times that preserve tweaking points of it, all to the higher.

Go Home, Apple

2022 was alleged to be a giant yr for Apple and sensible residence tech. The launch of Matter, the brand new linked residence commonplace, was set to usher in an period of interoperability amongst a raft of varied protocols and gadgets; in the meantime, Apple introduced its intent to revamp its present residence structure to deliver extra reliability and higher efficiency.

Unfortunately, none of that went fairly as anticipated. Matter’s rollout, whereas progressing, has been fairly sluggish, and Apple’s residence structure replace was pulled after many customers bumped into issues.

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All of this solely serves to strengthen the frustrations many customers have with sensible residence tech. I exploit Siri by way of a HomePod mini to work together with the varied devices all through my home, and it’s…nicely, “not great” might be an understatement. Siri incessantly doesn’t hear me, misunderstands me, or—worst of all—simply runs into some impenetrable drawback that forestalls it from doing something. (“Working on it…still working…sorry, something went wrong” is an all too frequent expletive-inducing chorus in my home.)

Smart residence tech won’t ever obtain huge adoption if individuals simply find yourself aggravated when attempting to make use of their voice assistant or cellphone to do one thing that’s simpler achieved by, say, getting up and strolling over to a change within the wall. Or, say, counting on automations that don’t go off when they need to. At that time, the benefit over “dumb” residence tech is misplaced.

So whereas I’ve little doubt Apple’s new residence structure will present up once more in some unspecified time in the future this yr, right here’s hoping that even then the corporate doesn’t relaxation on its laurels and continues to attempt to make sensible residence tech an on a regular basis actuality as an alternative of a novelty tried solely by the extra tech-savvy.

Deep cuts

Credit the place credit score is due: Apple does do job of updating a few of its massive options. Take Shortcuts, for instance. The current iOS 16.2/macOS 13.1 updates not solely added some new options to the automation system, however Apple even detailed them in launch notes. That’s nice!

But for all of the enhancements Shortcuts has gotten, there’s a lot extra work left to do. For one factor, there nonetheless isn’t parity throughout platforms: macOS, inexplicably, nonetheless doesn’t supply the Automation characteristic that Shortcuts on iOS and iPadOS do. And too many options within the working programs don’t have integration with Shortcuts: Tab Groups in Safari, Spaces on the Mac—even Apple’s a lot touted new Freeform app has no Shortcuts help in any respect.

Shortcuts has already proved that it has the power to vastly lengthen the capabilities of Apple’s platform by permitting customers to create personalised automations that serve their wants, or implement performance that Apple most likely gained’t.

But in an effort to preserve counting it as an asset on its platforms, Apple must proceed to spend money on Shortcuts’s ongoing enchancment, which signifies that when new options come out in iOS 17 and macOS 14, there must be Shortcuts help for them proper off the bat, as an alternative of ready for it for years—if it ever even reveals up in any respect.