Would you be interested in a Mac Micro - full Mac in an iPhone 14 case?

[dgdosen]

I reckon Google will make something like this and release it with ChromeOS, it sounds like their kind of product.

Google has Linux on Chrome OS (Crostini) and they had that Pixelbook Go and Slate. I used the think that would be a great option, but it was a dog of a performer and Google axed it.

Could Google resurrect the idea with their own ARM offering?

 

[mi7chy]

Won't happen. It's more profitable for Apple to sell you three devices, iPhone + iPad + Macbook. You'll never see a device like Surface Pro 5G that integrates all three into one.

 

[darngooddesign]

One of the things I think about whenever I use my iPhone SE 2022 is that it's more powerful than anything I need on the desktop and with the transition to Apple silicon that Apple could easily make a full PC of this size, or slightly larger if they wanted to.

The whole Mac would be the size of an iPhone 14. No screen, obviously. Maybe 2 or 3 USB-C ports, 8GB of RAM, starting at 128GB HDD, and the A15 bionic CPU. It'd be the most portable desktop in the world, or at least the most high-profile one of that size. And it would be more than powerful enough for, say, 75% of all desktop users.

Would you be interested in such a device for $499?

It would overheat and throttle.

 

[BootLoxes]

Id buy a smaller fanless m3 mini as long as it kept the current ports

 

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

The whole Mac would be the size of an iPhone 14. No screen, obviously. Maybe 2 or 3 USB-C ports, 8GB of RAM, starting at 128GB HDD, and the A15 bionic CPU. It'd be the most portable desktop in the world, or at least the most high-profile one of that size. And it would be more than powerful enough for, say, 75% of all desktop users.

Would you be interested in such a device for $499?

Not in the slightest. What would be the point of it? We have the internet everywhere, so your files are available everywhere, so the only use case would be for it to be portable, but you would still require a display, which is not portable, meaning you would still need a setup everywhere. I see no advantages at all for this thing over a Mac Mini, that is faster, more expandable, and has active cooling (So far).

 

[PsykX]

I always thought what the OP describes is the future.

But it would have a screen. In fact, I think the future of the iPhone is to have the ability to plug into a big computer monitor and morph into macOS. Or put it in a socket of a brainless laptop, and the iPhone would act as the computer and the trackpad. If I'm not mistaken, Apple already patented this idea.

In terms of mobile CPU/GPU, we've come to a point where it would become a pretty basic yet decent Mac for browsing, email, notes, etc. I think Apple is waiting a few more years until the smallest Apple Silicon chip becomes a bit more powerful. Maybe somewhere around 2025/2026 could be great.

 

[darngooddesign]

Id buy a smaller fanless m3 mini as long as it kept the current ports

I think I would always want fan in a desktop. If my Mac use is light, having an unused fan inside has no downsides, but if my work is heavier then I would want a fan to avoid throttling. The M1 Mini has a lot of empty space inside so Apple could decrease its size without removing the fan.

 

[Zest28]

Just release it with an M3! It'll be out soon enough and Apple has already demonstrated they don't 'need' thermal management with the M2 on the Air. Make it as thin and light as they can.

Better save some money and put an A16 in that thin MacBook 12”. Maybe Apple can price this laptop at $799 this way. It shouldn’t be an expensive laptop.

 

[progx]

That would be interesting.

Don't know if it would happen due to iOS and macOS being separate from one another. The technology is there to make it happen, so it isn't an impossibility.

I could see a Keyboard Mac (in the spirit of the Apple II) and a Mac similar to the Raspberry Pi too.

 

[Bodhitree]

There was a time about eight years ago when Microsoft had an initiative called “Windows Everywhere” and a technology called Continuum which allowed you to plug your smartphone into a dock with screen, keyboard and mouse attached and run a cut-down version of Windows on it. You can see where they were heading, and why they are still investing in Windows on ARM. An idea far ahead of its time.

 

[Joe The Dragon]

One of the things I think about whenever I use my iPhone SE 2022 is that it's more powerful than anything I need on the desktop and with the transition to Apple silicon that Apple could easily make a full PC of this size, or slightly larger if they wanted to.

The whole Mac would be the size of an iPhone 14. No screen, obviously. Maybe 2 or 3 USB-C ports, 8GB of RAM, starting at 128GB HDD, and the A15 bionic CPU. It'd be the most portable desktop in the world, or at least the most high-profile one of that size. And it would be more than powerful enough for, say, 75% of all desktop users.

Would you be interested in such a device for $499?

and give up the app store only lock in??

 

[MysticCow]

No, but those iPad Pros should have ran the macOS instead of iOS.

I said it.

I'm not taking it back.

 

[progx]

There was a time about eight years ago when Microsoft had an initiative called “Windows Everywhere” and a technology called Continuum which allowed you to plug your smartphone into a dock with screen, keyboard and mouse attached and run a cut-down version of Windows on it. You can see where they were heading, and why they are still investing in Windows on ARM. An idea far ahead of its time.

Completely forgot about it. Wonder if it was the catalyst for Windows 365?

 

[progx]

Could Google resurrect the idea with their own ARM offering?

Supposedly Google is getting ready to introduce their “halo,” where Android phones will sync to ChromeOS based PCs (more likely laptops since there aren’t desktops… yet). It’s going to start with their devices first, then expand to their partners. However, I can see it going sideways with Samsung since they try to make their Android phones exclusive to their device ecosystem. I’m hopeful, Microsoft’s failure into smartphones left blood in the water for Google… for whatever reason they’ve waited until this point 🤷‍♂️

 

[staypuftforums]

It would overheat and throttle.

It's the same chip that comfortably operates in the iPhone 13 Mini and iPhone SE (2022) with no throttling or overheating.

 

[staypuftforums]

Not in the slightest. What would be the point of it? We have the internet everywhere, so your files are available everywhere, so the only use case would be for it to be portable, but you would still require a display, which is not portable, meaning you would still need a setup everywhere. I see no advantages at all for this thing over a Mac Mini, that is faster, more expandable, and has active cooling (So far).

$200 cheaper isn't an advantage?

Sounds like you aren't the target market for this, but Mini PCs are a real thing and have been for a very long time. They aren't hugely popular but they do exist.

 

[bobcomer]

It's the same chip that comfortably operates in the iPhone 13 Mini and iPhone SE (2022) with no throttling or overheating.

My 13 Mini throttled a LOT. Battery life sucked too.

 

[bobcomer]

Sounds like you aren't the target market for this, but Mini PCs are a real thing and have been for a very long time. They aren't hugely popular but they do exist.

Neither am I. I learned that before I traded in my M1 MBA.

Most mini PC's have active cooling, and there's no way I would buy one without it.

 

[darngooddesign]

It's the same chip that comfortably operates in the iPhone 13 Mini and iPhone SE (2022) with no throttling or overheating.

MAcOS and its apps are significantly more demanding than what is on a phone.

 

[jdb8167]

MAcOS and its apps are significantly more demanding than what is on a phone.

I believe that to use Samsung DEX you need a dock. Apple could require the same. The dock could supply active cooling. I used a laptop cooler with my M2 MacBook Air and it virtually eliminated any throttling. It could work.

 

[bobcomer]

I believe that to use Samsung DEX you need a dock. Apple could require the same. The dock could supply active cooling. I used a laptop cooler with my M2 MacBook Air and it virtually eliminated any throttling. It could work.

You don't need a dock for using DEX. (at least on a tablet). But I agree, if you added active cooling, it could work.

 

[dgdosen]

MAcOS and its apps are significantly more demanding than what is on a phone.

Well, you can ship an iMac that's 11mm thick... so, somewhere between the 6mm thickness of an iPad Pro and the 11mm of an iMac. I could live with that.

 

[subjonas]

You know, about a decade ago I was sure that the personal computing industry is moving towards an ultracompact devices (think watch or phone sized) that can be connected to larger IO terminals (think displays with input devices) to serve as personal computers. It is only a question of time until the computers get "good enough" for majority of uses — and the rest can be done by adding auxiliary computing capacity on demand.

I used to dream about something like that, but as I got older my preference switched. Now I would prefer dedicated devices, provided the data were synced seamlessly (that’s not a given). I think because of several reasons—no hassle of connecting and disconnecting things (eg. ejecting drives) and any clutter with cables and docks that might involve; no having to configure things to each form factor each time (settings, which applications/windows are open and arranged how, etc); no risk of having a terminal but not having the computer with you (every terminal is a fully functioning computer); and being able to use two or more devices at the same time.
I think I’d only like a connectable/expandable device if it was something I only needed on rare occasion.

 

[xraydoc]

10 years ago something like that would have been great. Today, my iPhone is more than powerful enough to run its own version of, say, Word or PowerPoint to allow me to edit something from a coffee shop or a library without my whole computer. All my files are synced to iCloud, so they're already wherever I need them.

 

[wyrdness]

It's an interesting idea. An iPhone sized device (or even an iPhone itself) with usb-c. Simply connect it to a usb-c monitor (most offer power delivery) or a dock, and a keyboard & mouse (probably bluetooth) and you have a micro-pc that you can take with you. If it could offer a Mac UI on a monitor and IOS UI on a phone screen it would be awesome. The underlying OS is very similar so this could be possible. Just imagine an iPhone that becomes a Mac when you plug it into a usb-c display. Why would you not want one?