Apple's week April 3: to the moon

We've all had enough of Apple's 50th anniversary, so let's talk about what's next for Apple. 50 years is a long time, but 2076 feels more tangible than 2026 must have felt in 1976.

Here's the news of the week:

• iPhones in space
• iPad turns 16
• Tilta makes some excellent photography hardware
• Multiple Siri threads at once
• Vibe coding is a blessing for Apple and a curse for customers
• Rule-breaking AI apps removed while Grok left untouched

Artemis gives us a view of home

Forget Apple's 50th, this is our first human-captured view of Earth from this distance in 50 years. It's an incredible shot.

It's a lovely shot captured through a window onboard the Orion capsule. While I'm sure other cameras exist onboard, it is also known that the crew members were allowed to take their personal smartphones, including iPhones, on the trip.

Edit: it was a Nikon D5. I finally got ahold of the original file with the camera metadata still attached. I am very excited to see what iPhone photos come from this trip, but it seems those won't be shared until they're back on Earth.

There's a non-zero chance that this amazing photo was captured on an iPhone. I find that incredible.

The next 50 years of Apple

William and I already talked at length about what Apple could look like in 2076 on the AppleInsider+ segment of the podcast this week. I don't want to rehash much here, but I've been thinking about the future of Apple.

50 years is a long time, and it is unbelievable that Apple is what it is today. Even when you start the clock from 1997, it is night and day what Apple has accomplished in those intervening years.

Some would look at today and say the company has become boring and predictable. I've seen comparisons to some of Apple's worst days from back in the 1990s, but there's one significant difference.

Apple is more profitable and wealthy than ever.

Its products in every category gain market share each year as people switch away from other devices. Customer satisfaction continues to be higher than any other consumer electronics company.

That said, there has to be some kind of ceiling. It's that, or like with the iMac, iPod, and iPhone, Apple needs to pivot again. To what, I'm not sure.

AI isn't it. While I'm certain AI is here to stay, it isn't the future that will drive Apple's next 50 years (nor anyone's). It will inevitably fade to the background as a basic toolset or utility, one that Apple will no doubt have its strengths in.

No, I expect Apple's near-term future lies in two product categories: augmented reality and health.

AR is still early and requires users to either wear a giant VR-style headset or hold up an iPhone or iPad. However, it won't be long before we get true AR via wearable goggles, and eventually, glasses.

Apple Vision Pro is the first step in that journey. We'll likely see what's next very soon.

Health is a much closer and more achievable aspect for Apple to pursue in the short term. Both health and AR are likely what will define Apple through 2040. After that, who knows?

Robotics, smart homes, vehicles, and other such products are all targetable prospects. The idea of the smartphone will eventually fade and be replaced by something else.

If I had to bet, between now and 2076, Apple will have moved on fully from the iPhone. I expect it'll be sooner rather than later.

Apple's App Store curation is random and useless

We've reached the point where Apple being the judge, jury, and executioner of the App Store is no longer viable. It isn't that I think a third-party arbiter is needed, but a change in the rules and how they are enforced is needed.

It isn't as if some other entity could run the App Store better than Apple. It's that Apple needs to step up its game.

I know this isn't a new idea, but I'm seeing some red flags that make this more of a problem than ever. Developers have increasingly shown that they are unhappy with the App Store and its policies, but now it is easier than ever to flood the App Store with junk.

Apple embraces vibe coding in Xcode and the higher rate of app submissions. It sees it as a success in enabling anyone to become a developer.

The problem is, Apple hasn't scaled App Review to go with it. More submissions pour in each day, but the time between app submission and approval is widening.

Everything is grinding to a halt.

What's worse is that bad actors hoping to make a quick buck are submitting new apps on a near-continuous basis. Junk apps with single functions are being added by the truckload, and most, if not all, contribute nothing to the wider ecosystem.

The definition of a minimum viable app needs to change. Also, Apple's standards for what is allowed to be submitted need to change as well.

I don't believe an app made with 100% AI-generated code should qualify for submission.

Sure, these changes go against Apple's desire for more revenue from these junk apps. But it would improve the quality of life for users.

Vibe coding also increases the ease of blatant fraud. Users can simply clone existing apps and attempt to steal revenue from other successful developers.

The last thing I want to see the App Store turn into is something like Google Play or the PlayStation Network. The PSN has become impossible to browse because of the hundreds of junk games submitted to the store.

Gone are the days I can simply sort the games store by release date and see what might be interesting to purchase. I have to rely on other resources to see what games exist, what's for sale, and if something I wanted has released.

The App Store is similarly impenetrable. The amount of junk is just overwhelming, and vibe coding makes this much worse.

Apple's rule enforcement has been increasingly inconsistent too. Musk's Grok was sexualizing minors and nothing was done, but Apple removed other AI apps for similar accusations without any pressure.

There needs to be consistency.

I hope Apple can step up the quality control going forward. If it doesn't, then we can expect regulators might force a change that would likely be worse for Apple and customers alike.