Would you be shocked to be taught there’s plenty of AI-related information to speak about this week? In all probability not. You most likely wouldn’t be shocked if the Macalope mentioned it was all AI-generated.
First, there was Sam Altman awkwardly attempting to coax Scarlett Johansson into being the voice of ChatGPT. Johansson’s response was very a lot “Who’re you once more?” Nonetheless, issues are going very properly within the AI world as Gemini is telling customers to eat glue and rocks and Humane is on the market. It’s an actual thriller why Apple is so late to this superior occasion however there are many rumors about what new AI options iOS 18 may have.
Anyway, we’re not going to speak about that stuff. Frankly, the Macalope is a bit bored with speaking about AI. It’s like we’ve spent months speaking about somebody’s wack-a-doodle uncle who went off the deep finish into conspiracy theories in the course of the pandemic.
“You’ll be able to forestall COVID by taking a tablespoon of battery acid each day! I did my very own analysis! Have a few of my glue pizza!”
Yeah, let’s discuss iPhone rumors as an alternative.
Apple made a giant splash with the M4 iPad Execs by making them virtually unbelievably skinny. Positive, some groused “Who needs the iPad to be thinner?!” Effectively, everybody who wished it to be lighter, that’s who. Now, if the rumors are true, it’s set to do the identical factor for the iPhone 17, making it thinner and doubtless lighter by ditching the again glass in favor of aluminum.
Because the world’s foremost advocate of smaller iPhones during the last 10 years (doing a bang-up job, thanks very a lot for asking), the Macalope is no less than intrigued by these adjustments. Possibly the Macalope is simply speaking himself into this as, regardless of his letter-writing campaigns, a number of sit-ins, and subliminal propaganda schemes directed at Apple executives, it doesn’t appear to be he’s going to get one other iPhone mini. What’s a legendary beast to do?
The benefits for these of us preferring a smaller telephone are extra associated to floor space than thickness or weight. Apple implementing Reachability in iOS was far much less a panacea than it was proof that we had been proper all alongside about the issue with bigger telephones.
Nonetheless, there could also be a path ahead by software program. To forge a usable substitute for what you name a small telephone and we name a reasonably-sized telephone utilizing a type of ridiculous monstrosities you employ, we’d want to consider cobbling collectively a selected set of interactions, utilizing iOS options that exist already and a few which might be rumored to be coming in iOS 18.
iOS widgets presently provide the skill to place bigger icons on your private home display which have the additional advantage of offering data. iOS 18 is rumored to be bringing much more customization choices, together with extra versatile icon placement and the power to have clean areas. If that spot within the higher nook of the display is simply too exhausting to achieve with out risking dropping your telephone in sizzling lava (the Macalope is assuming you’re a vulcanologist right here), put a widget there or, as soon as iOS 18 arrives, go away it clean. You’ll be able to even simply configure your display with widgets down the far aspect (whichever aspect that’s for you) and icons you wish to work together with down the close to aspect.
That also leaves Management Middle, Apple’s annoyingly out-of-reach extremely great tool entry utility.
Apple engineer #1: “Hmm, the place ought to we put this factor persons are going to wish to use on a regular basis?”
Apple engineer #2: What’s the toughest spot on the telephone for most individuals to achieve?”
Apple engineer #1: “Who damage you, Jeff?”
Even on his iPhone 13 mini, which has a comparatively easy-to-reach higher proper nook, the Macalope has taken to utilizing a triple again faucet to set off Management Middle. The Motion button additionally makes it simpler to set off the features you most frequently use, but it surely Management Middle may nonetheless profit from simpler entry.
Now the Macalope has to tell you that he lied a bit in the beginning. We’re going to discuss AI, however just a bit. These aforementioned iOS 18 AI options embrace a number of enhancements that would make interacting along with your telephone simpler and sooner. The Macalope’s not holding his breath, but when Siri could make a big telephone simpler to make use of, that helps.
Nonetheless, none of this addresses what the Macalope calls “pants really feel” (no, don’t shut the tab, we’re maintaining it SFW). Massive telephones are merely larger. The wonderful factor about AirPods is how they took benefit of that little denims pocket nobody makes use of anymore. Apple shipped a product lots of people already had a spot to place. Giant telephones, alternatively, have compelled a proliferation of tactical telephone pants, these pants which have a particular telephone pocket on the thigh, as a result of in case your pants aren’t saying “I’ve a big telephone!” it’s such a missed alternative.
Would possibly as properly have been bandoliers.
On the finish of the day, does the Macalope need a thinner iPhone? Sure, please. And he can most likely discover a option to make it work.
In fact, a thinner and smaller telephone can be the actual candy spot. Simply saying.