- Apple’s head of services Eddy Cue has suggested that users may not need an iPhone in 2035
- The statement was made as part of testimony by Google Antitrust Remedies Case on May 7
- In context, the comments on the rising tide of AI refer
Will we always use smartphones? It is a question that every technical fan has asked. It makes sense that technology continues to evolve, but a telephone -free reality is a little hard to imagine in a world where these devices are used for everything from paying for your groceries to streaming your favorite music.
However, a new statement from a senior Apple director suggests that the iPhone era could end before than you would expect.
While giving testimonies in Google Search Antitrust Remedies Case on May 7, Apple SVP and head of Services Eddy Cue said: “You may not need an iPhone 10 years from now.”
The comment was made with reference to the changing nature of the technology and the relative impermanence of tech products compared to other goods.
As PhoneArena reports, the comments can be taken in a wider context as a recognition that the ongoing increase in AI development can force even the largest tech companies like Apple to adapt to unforeseen changes.
Although iPhone is the Icon for Apple’s product portfolio, IT and the smartphone industry are still young compared to other industries – Cue highlighted “Oil” and “toothpaste” as examples.
The expected release of the iPhone 17 family later this year marks 18 years of iPhone, and with Apple itself, offering a robust package of AI tools via Apple Intelligence, it is not beyond the possibility that software can prioritize hardware in the coming years.
In fact, some device manufacturers have already made attempts to produce the first gadgets, although these have generally failed to start; For example, the Rabbit R1 AI Ledes Case landed on our list of the biggest tech flops from last year.
If you look specifically on the iPhone, it is now pretty rare to see big jumps in hardware stream between single generations.
The addition of the Camera Control button and shock up to 8 GB RAM to the iPhone 16 family marked the largest hardware upgrade to Apple’s handsets for years, but we only have to look back on the small jump from iPhone 13 to iPhone 14 to see much less gradations of change.
However, Apple Intelligence does not look for annual release cycles – Apple can update it when it takes place. Of course, hardware should still be able to run these AI tools, but otherwise Apple has much more freedom to accelerate on the software side of things.
As CNBC reports, Apple already earns about one -fifth of its revenue from services, and while Apple Intelligence is currently free, nothing prevents the technology giant from adding premium levels or charging for existing features in the future.
So while it honestly seems to be unlikely that iPhones will disappear in 2035, to have hardware releases to support software developments, and AI services seem like a rather realistic result.
For the time being, the iPhone era is still underway – be sure to check out our list of the best iPhones if you are thinking of picking up one yourself. Do you think iPhones will be about 10 years? Tell us that in the comments.
