Quick Takes: Apple Pencil 2 Wishlist, Apple's R&D Spending is Surging

Friday March 16, 2018 1:15 pm PDT by Joe Rossignol

In addition to our standalone articles covering the latest Apple news and rumors at MacRumors, this Quick Takes column provides a bite-sized recap of other headlines about Apple and its competitors on weekdays.

Friday, March 16

Highlights

1. Apple Pencil 2 wishlist: iMore's Serenity Caldwell offers some good suggestions for a next-generation Apple Pencil, including integration of Apple's W1 or W2 chips for improved pairing, haptic feedback, wireless charging, and multiple nib options both for improved friction and design.

Commentary: Apple today invited the media to an education-focused event on March 27 at Lane Tech College Prep High School in Chicago. The artwork for the invite suggests the Apple Pencil could be one focus of the event, with the possibility of both a new version and support added for the 9.7-inch iPad.

2. An Apple R&D bonanza: Above Avalon's Neil Cybart notes that Apple is on track to spend $14 billion on research and development in its 2018 fiscal year, nearly double the amount it spent on R&D just four years ago. $14 billion would also be more than the amount Apple spent on R&D from 1998 to 2011 combined.

My theory on the dramatic rise in Apple R&D expenditures is that management is becoming more ambitious. Apple's future is found in new industries. Just as Apple moved from desktops/laptops to personal music players, smartphones, and watches, the company will need to enter new industries to remain relevant. This is not a company that is holding onto the iPhone as tight as possible for fear of change. Apple management is investigating new ideas and processes in order to support future moves into new industries.

Commentary: Apple's dramatic increase in R&D spending likely signals the company's interest in a number of new areas. Cybart believes that two new items on Apple's roadmap that are driving the recent surge in expenditures include augmented reality glasses and a Netflix-like streaming video service.

3. French cosmetics company L'Oréal acquires ModiFace, a Toronto-based startup that developed augmented reality innovations allowing customers to try on cosmetics using its mobile apps or in-store smart mirrors.

Commentary: ModiFace has iPhone and iPad apps for simulating new photo-realistic hair colors, eye colors, cosmetics, teeth whitening, and more. Ahead of the public release of iOS 11, the company also shared an ARKit demo showcasing a lipstick previewer and virtual beauty gallery in a cosmetics store.

Top Rated Comments

asdavis10

80 months ago

Apple Pencil 2 wishlist: The end/cap to act as an eraser.

Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)

jonnyo

Is anyone at Apple paying attention to the ROI on this? They may be spending twice as much as four years ago, but I'm certainly not feeling that in the products that I purchase. I wish that weren't the case...

critter13

thats a lot of money to be spent on developing the new mac mini, it must be amazing :rolleyes:

Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)

TheRealTVGuy

" ...the company will need to enter new industries to remain relevant."

You mean relevant to investors looking for big returns and a high performing stock. Not necessarily the same thing as a company that provides the best and most integrated hardware/software experience or insanely great products. :rolleyes:

Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)

volfreak

My R&D wishlist would be to do something about health records to where we don't have to fill out the same paper every time we go to the dr, the dentist, the whatever. Provide a way to secure my medical information and take it with me. Have it on my phone. So, when I go to the dr, dentist, etc. I provide them access to my records and they can update their records with mine. When I'm done, I have my updates provided to me. Develop a common interface for all these disparate systems; create a standard.

Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)