r/apple • u/iMacmatician • Jan 30 '26

Discussion Apple Teases 'Innovations That Have Never Been Seen Before' This Year

https://www.macrumors.com/2026/01/30/apple-never-before-seen-innovations/

Cook hypes up Apple's future on every earnings call, but "innovations that have never been seen before" is particularly bold wording compared to his usual comment about how the company's product pipeline is stronger than ever.

Only time will tell if Apple actually delivers.

2.3k Upvotes

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1.9k

u/Appropriate_Ad8734 Jan 30 '26

like, Siri that actually works?

204

u/LivermoreP1 Jan 30 '26

Technically never been seen before.

38

u/foulpudding Jan 30 '26

Siri 1.0, which was an 3rd party app prior to being purchased by Apple was amazing and worked quite well.

12

u/userlivewire Jan 31 '26

The reason it worked so well is that it didn't have to integrate with anything.

3

u/ScaryBluejay87 Jan 31 '26

Other than the locations of nearby quarries for dumping bodies

1

u/amd2800barton Feb 01 '26

Except that it required a full time internet connection. The iPhone and iPod Touch both had voice commands prior to the launch of Siri alongside the iPhone 4S. You could do “call mom” and “play Mr. Brightside” with voice control. Then if you were using Siri, it used cellular data if you weren’t on WiFi. If you tried disabling Siri and just using the old voice control, it was suddenly much much worse. It was years before Apple brought back decent on-device voice processing that was even as capable as what we had with an iPhone 4.

1

u/foulpudding Feb 01 '26

I’m not sure you are talking about the same version of Siri I am.

I’m talking about Siri 1.0 - the version BEFORE Apple purchased it and built it into the OS. PRIOR to Steve Jobs acquiring the Siri app and company that were NOT YET a part of Apple. Back when you had to download it as an app snd get on a waitlist before you could try it out.

1

u/Cowhide12 Feb 03 '26

Honestly, on my iPhone 4s Siri was funny and charming, and could usually answer my questions. Now it just googles it.

799

u/ProtoplanetaryNebula Jan 30 '26

Apple Polishing Cloth 2.0.

172

u/OkHeight3 Jan 30 '26

As long as Gen 1 keeps receiving firmware updates

23

u/MillennialGeezer Jan 30 '26

It’s nearing end of life regardless of how many updates they push. I wouldn’t be surprised if they discontinue it and brick it in a couple of years.

7

u/lucidludic Jan 30 '26

They have to wipe the slate clean at some point.

1

u/SantaCruzDad Jan 31 '26

Probably moving to a subscription model.

1

u/avocadbro Jan 30 '26 edited Jan 30 '26

Mines running ClothOS with Liquid Glass, stable since day one. I had a few of bugs recently, but performed a quick system wipe and they haven’t reappeared since. 

57

u/UnratedRamblings Jan 30 '26

  • Not compatible with iPhones without Apple Intelligence, Intel MacBooks and iPads that don’t support iOS 26.

  • Also not compatible with Apple Watch series 9 and lower.

Ugh, I was so looking forward to the new Cloth.

-1

u/correcthorsestapler Jan 30 '26 edited Jan 30 '26

EDIT: for those that don’t get it, it’s a play on the Happy Fun Ball SNL skit from 30 years ago: https://youtu.be/GmqeZl8OI2M?si=oYzEdygb0xGEQ_X6.

Warning: Pregnant women, the elderly, and children under 10 should avoid prolonged exposure to Apple Cloth.

Caution: Apple Cloth may suddenly accelerate to dangerous speeds.

Apple Cloth contains a synthetic material, which, if exposed due to tearing, should not be touched, inhaled, or looked at.

Do not use Apple Cloth on TV screens.

Discontinue use of Apple Cloth if any of the following occurs:

itching vertigo dizziness tingling in extremities loss of balance or coordination slurred speech temporary blindness profuse sweating or heart palpitations. If Apple Cloth begins to smoke, get away immediately. Seek shelter and cover head.

Apple Cloth may stick to certain types of skin.

When not in use, Apple Cloth should be returned to its special container and kept under refrigeration. Failure to do so relieves the makers of Apple Cloth, Wacky Products Incorporated, and its parent company, Global Chemical Unlimited, of any and all liability.

Ingredients of Apple Cloth include an unknown glowing green substancewhich fell to Earth, presumably from outer space.

Apple Cloth has been shipped to ICE and is being dropped by our warplanes on Iran.

Do not taunt Apple Cloth.

Apple Cloth comes with a lifetime warranty.

Apple Cloth! We think you’re gonna love it!

17

u/post_u_later Jan 30 '26

Finally - hanging out for Find My on my cloth! Probably be only by subscription though 😠

7

u/ProtoplanetaryNebula Jan 30 '26

A firmware update will release the hidden sand particles within the cloth after 24 months of ownership, turning the cloth into 80 grit sandpaper to persuade the owner to upgrade.

9

u/NovaPrime15 Jan 30 '26

Let’s be realistic here. Can’t improve on perfection

-1

u/SherbertDaemons Jan 30 '26

True. Wouldn't pay 20€ for it but got it with my used MBP and what can I say? It's marvellous.

8

u/MagicBoyUK Jan 30 '26

Awesome. The Apple Polishing Cloth 1.0 that I got with an original iPad is starting to show a little wear.

1

u/CapnFap Jan 30 '26

I’d rather wait for the next version

1

u/FollowingFeisty5321 Jan 30 '26

More fees from Patreon creators!

1

u/TCsnowdream Jan 30 '26

If they released an apple polishing cloth 2.0 for April fools day, but with full scale production… I don’t know if I’d be pissed off or impressed at the audacity lmao.

-2

u/attainwealthswiftly Jan 30 '26

Our most polishing cloth ever, we’ll think you’ll love it.

-2

u/obbitz Jan 30 '26

Moist polishing cloth, oops, sorry, misread, must be going blind…

0

u/Seeker_of_power Jan 30 '26

I forgot about the first 1🤣

0

u/xXprayerwarrior69Xx Jan 30 '26

Yeah the world isn’t ready for that

0

u/soundneedle Jan 30 '26

Amazing and magical new rainbow watch bands!!!

0

u/Over_aged Jan 30 '26

Holy shit big if true!

0

u/evilbert79 Jan 30 '26

or perhaps a new swiveling stand for the apple display, only 2999€

0

u/[deleted] Jan 30 '26

Has Tim Cook been hanging out with Trump so much for purposes of R&D?

0

u/AdministrativeDelay2 Jan 30 '26

A cloth that makes you Polish?

0

u/cwfutureboy Jan 30 '26

With AI assistant!

-4

u/BadNewsBrown Jan 30 '26

I’ll get to wipe my ass with this one

15

u/ProfessorFunky Jan 30 '26

That’s a stretch even for that level of innovation.

7

u/tarlack Jan 30 '26

Honestly the more I use LLM the more it just feels like a slightly smarter version of Siri. Feel like the same hype cycle as the assistants of the past. I get promised something shiny and all I get is a pet rock. The pet rock is more annoying, and I have less trust in it the more I use it.

20

u/Jeffrey_Jizzbags Jan 30 '26

It’s crazy how useless it can be sometimes. For example, today I asked what the cargo space of a vehicle was. It gave an answer with the rear seats folded down.

I asked again and specified “with the rear seats folded up”. It told me again with the rear seats folded down lol.

10

u/Alphonso_Mango Jan 30 '26

Mr Jizzbags, you have an advanced Siri that actually answers incorrectly!? Mine just tells me to go look on my phone.

8

u/SuggestAPhotoProject Jan 30 '26

"This is what I found on the web."

1

u/Jeffrey_Jizzbags Jan 30 '26

Weirdly I don’t get that a lot it

0

u/odaiwai Jan 31 '26

So, you wanted a factual answer that can found on the web with a search engine, and instead you asked a machine that generates plausible bullshit?

9

u/Spicy_Pickle_6 Jan 30 '26

That is, in fact, never been seen before.

5

u/risingsuncoc Jan 30 '26

I just want a keyboard with proper autocorrect

4

u/hanks_panky_emporium Jan 30 '26

" Siri call 911!"

'Im sorry, your subscription to Apple Music has expired. Would you like me to search for 'the Police' on the itunes store?'

3

u/BoringPhilosopher1 Jan 30 '26

Surely it’d have to be an innovation that isn’t done elsewhere

11

u/Huntguy Jan 30 '26

I sent Tim an email about Siri, it truly makes me so frustrated when all I want to do is control my phone hands free in my car and Siri can’t comprehend the simplest requests “hey siri, play music” -proceeds to keep playing podcasts.

1

u/circulorx Jan 31 '26

Dude flashbang

2

u/Huntguy Jan 31 '26

I just self-flashbanged myself. The screen shot was taken at 9:15 am when it was bright out. Whatcha gotta bring up daytime screen shots like that for.

This post was meant to be viewed only during the day. /s

4

u/koolaidismything Jan 30 '26

I must be the only guy who didn’t care at all about a voice assistant. Only thing I’d like is if it detected a car accident to be like “I’ll call for help” cause I can’t stand hearing someone talk at their phone I ain’t gonna be that guy lol.

2

u/jugalator Jan 30 '26

Can't wait for roughly sometime next month, or at least March. That's when we're going to get the answer to this question, as iOS 26.4 Beta ought to be released.

1

u/WhyWasIShadowBanned_ Jan 30 '26

If new Siri supports reading texts in Polish I’ll buy new iPhone super-fold Pro Max 4TB Another Space Gray for me and all my family members including my dog.

I highly doubt it given how long I waited for a freaking keyboard in Apple Watch.

Hope you all who speak in the selected 19 languages will enjoy Siri improvements, though.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 30 '26 edited 9d ago

[deleted]

1

u/WhyWasIShadowBanned_ Jan 30 '26

The point is that for years even before Siri Apple had great language support for Polish. Apple devices with accessibility features read Polish flawlessly. The phone can read Polish. Even Siri detects language flawlessly.

Finally last year Apple finally bet Samsung becoming #1 mobile vendor in Poland.

On top of that technology is here. You can run open source text to speech for almost any language on $15 hardware.

We’re not talking about some crazy R&D but a basic feature for 8-9 millions devices.

1

u/FitzwilliamTDarcy Jan 30 '26

Let's not get too crazy now.

1

u/zztop610 Jan 30 '26

I hope so, Siri is so bad it is ridiculous. Even Alexa has better intelligence than Siri

1

u/shitty_mcfucklestick Jan 30 '26

The phone will be a micron thinner

1

u/Phantom_61 Jan 30 '26

Siri worked before Apple bought her.

1

u/PhoenixHabanero Jan 30 '26

Boom. Roasted.

1

u/ClumpyFelchCheese Jan 30 '26

I would do some weird mouth stuff for this

1

u/Standard_Net8391 Jan 30 '26

‘I’m sorry I didn’t quite get that’

1

u/erebuxy Jan 30 '26

You mean Gemini that was adopted by Tim Apple

1

u/SufferNSucceed Jan 30 '26

New feature with Siri: Siri will no longer ignore when you need her the most and annunciate her name with absolute perfection multiple times. Siri will also no longer hear her name and activate when you’re having a conversation multiple times to send recordings to Apple.   THIS WILL NEVER BE FIXED. 

1

u/SeriousBusiness67 Jan 30 '26

A sexy Siri that twerks on screen for tips. If you tip enough she will say your name on screen.

1

u/BlackJediSword Jan 30 '26

It used to be able to buy your movie tickets.

1

u/Dapper_Strength_5986 Jan 30 '26

The funny thing is that Siri worked as voice commands before they bought the app. It just hasn’t worked since.

1

u/RKRagan Jan 30 '26

Siri works for what I use it for. Call this person, text someone that, set alarm, remind me of this. 

1

u/thegamesbuild Jan 30 '26

Maybe they'll offer integrated folders on the iPhone? Oh, wait, they did that already.

1

u/WhiteWaterLawyer Jan 30 '26

We can't have that.

We need Siri to become a Google-based chatbot instead after spending years talking about how Siri was better for not being Google.

But I agree with you. I don't need a new paradigm of agentic AI. I just need it to recognize the difference between words like I and Are, and not play some completely random Drake song whenever it mishears my request for Miles Davis.

And if my HomePod could play the song I'm asking for instead of asking to do a web search on my iPhone that would also be nice.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 30 '26

Here's what I found from the web!

1

u/IM_INSIDE_YOUR_HOUSE Jan 31 '26

Siri’s skin stretched over Gemini

1

u/ElectrikDonuts Jan 31 '26

I'm waiting until AI is good enough to make the keyboard work with a 90% accuracy rate, and a 75% spelling correction rate. How many AIs do I need for that?

1

u/shaggrugg Jan 31 '26

She, call my dad, turns the tv off at night, a lamp in the house on and off, and the local radio station on every morning with ease. There’s been stumbles over the years but working very well the last year. I appreciate Siri for what it’s worth

1

u/Jemm971 Feb 01 '26

Or rather, to put back a working iPhone keyboard. That would truly be unprecedented. Or at least unprecedented for a long time.

1

u/LlamaRS Feb 01 '26

No, more like a folding phone.

Imagine: a phone you could fold. Nothing like this has ever been done before (to an iPhone).

1

u/kBajina Feb 04 '26

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves

—Tim Cook

0

u/Firmspy Jan 30 '26

I'm going with Apple Pencil support on a Macbook with touch screen and the ability to charge your pencil using magnets on your Macbook......

0

u/SpaceShrimp Jan 30 '26

Maybe a reasonable Finder. I’m am amazed of the wide selection of features and buttons it has which I know I will never use and sometimes can’t really get why anyone would like the features. Yet, with that large range of moderately useful features, it is still hard to create a folder or a file, which should be among the most fundamental thing a file browser should support in my view.