2021 Apple Mobile Device Prospect, New iPad Pro Launch, iOS 'Management Mode'

It was the worst year and the best year. Yes. First, for many, 2020 wasn't the best year. But on the iOS side, Apple has clearly had its best year. In 2020, Apple released five new iPhone models, including the iPhone SE. It also unveiled the new iPad Air, which served as the 'low-priced' iPad Pro. There was also a new iPad Pro, but a new accessory called the Magic Keyboard for iPad attracted more attention than itself.

After all, in 2020, the iPhone and iPad were more of a cheer than a booing. Of course, this has affected product sales worldwide. Then how about 2021? Will we face a better situation than 2020? Here are a few things you can predict about this.

Lucky number 13

Apple has stepped up the number of iPhone names over the past two years. iPhone 11 and iPhone 12. Therefore, the iPhone coming out next year is likely to be the iPhone 13 rather than the iPhone 12S. But in reality, 13 is not very widely used. Even some buildings don't call the 13th floor on the 13th floor. Because of something like superstition.

What about the iPhone 13? You might think of skipping 13 and going to 14, or adding an extra letter after the 12, but I'm betting on Apple just naming it the iPhone 13. It is not common sense to associate superstitions with product names. As always, we will use the number after 12.

How about the design? Considering the major changes in the iPhone 12, it is likely to remain the same in 2021. There may be some changes, but it will be about new colors, small improvements, and smaller notches for the TrueDepth camera stack.

Lightning ports will remain more

What about your expectations for a folding iPhone or a fortress iPhone? It will take an additional year or two to develop a foldable iPhone. On the other hand, if it's a 'portless iPhone' with the Lightning port removed, it's not surprising to release it right away.

However, in order for this to be realized, the MaxSafe connector, which was introduced in 2020, needs to be improved to send and receive data, and there is a possibility that it must be provided as a basic product configuration. That's why I put more weight on the side where the fortress iPhone won't appear in 2021. It can be sold as an optional product that makes money, but who will choose to have a MaxSafe charger installed for free?

Let's predict the camera too. If Apple bets on improving the camera on the new iPhone, you will never lose it. I'm sure Apple will put a bigger, higher-quality photo and video camera in its next iPhone. The sensor stabilization function, which was introduced in the iPhone 12 Pro Max in 2020, will be extended to the iPhone Pro in 2021, and it is highly likely that new advanced features will be added to the Pro Max product in 2021.

Lastly, the global pandemic will have an impact on iPhone products. Wearing a mask is becoming more common and using Face ID is becoming more and more uncomfortable. Because of these changes, I believe Apple will add the Touch ID with the button that is used on the iPad Air in 2020 to the next iPhone. In a way that complements Face ID.

New iPad release is certain

Some may feel unpleasant, but I think the 2020 iPad Pro was below expectations. The A12Z processor in the iPad Pro is based on technology two years ago. This is why I felt that the new product was just a minor update. So I expect the 2021 iPad Pro to be different. First, you need to use the A14X processor. It is a product that offers similar performance to the one we found on the M1 Mac.

Another improvement we look forward to adding to the new iPad Pro is the display. I'm not saying that the iPad Pro needs to be bigger. From the standpoint of daily use of 12.9-inch products, the iPad Pro's screen is already large enough. It is also a burden on Apple in that if you make a bigger product, you have to make a new product for the Magic Keyboard.

So, what should be improved on the iPad Pro display? It is a mini-LED. There are mixed rumors about whether Apple will apply the technology to the iPad Pro. But when it comes to reality, the iPad Pro becomes a true HDR display. Isn't this the direction that Apple has been pursuing so far?

OS update continues

Apple has always surprised users with OS updates, and iOS 15 will undoubtedly appear armed with new features and improvements to existing features.

The next version of iPadOS is expected to be redesigned on the home screen

But what I'm most excited about is the iOS 13 feature that will be ported to the iPad. For example, the current iPad home screen has a sidebar on one side of a single screen. However, for iOS 13, a new home screen has been applied that allows widgets to be placed anywhere on the screen. I don't know why Apple didn't apply it to iPadOS when Apple released iOS 13 last year, but now is the time to apply it. Rather, it is good to go a step further from the existing design applied to the iPhone. I am sure there will be this change this year.

On the other hand, iOS is expected to be a relatively quiet year. Of course, a lot of work will be done underwater. As Apple needs to improve the flow of apps from iPhone and iPad to Mac, there remains work to integrate iPad and Mac Catalyst development or to develop SwiftUI as a multi-platform for Apple software platform.

However, from the perspective of general users, this will feel like fewer updates than in previous years. Even if there are some unexpected and interesting add-ons, developer upgrades, and bug fixes. In fact, in the years following major iOS changes like 2020, it's also wise to correct what's wrong, fix bugs and reduce possible add-ons.