Apple ought to launch customization ‘theme packs’ to maintain its units extra enjoyable

Famously, throughout the launch of the primary iPad, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs as soon as claimed that “expertise alone is just not sufficient,” arguing that it was “expertise married with the liberal arts, married with the humanities, that yields the outcomes that makes our hearts sing.” That was typically taken as a bit pretentious on Jobs’ half, however the final level was that expertise should not be an insular factor. Gadgets are utilized by people, and people care in regards to the inventive. They need pleasing kind components. They need good fonts. They need to have the ability to draw, listen to music, and browse their pictures, not simply jam out spreadsheets and code in essentially the most environment friendly approach potential.

Apple has principally carried on that precept, if not taken it to extremes when you think about units just like the iPhone Air. However for all of that, it appears to me that the corporate is lacking out on an apparent method to exploit its philosophy that does not contain spending a fortune on new classes or kind components, and even new apps and equipment: giving clients extra methods to customise software program on a extra frequent foundation. It is a easy thought, however there’s a lot value elaborating on.

What’s incorrect with what Apple’s already doing?

Work to rule

I would not say Apple is doing something incorrect, per se. Its massive September updates to iOS, macOS, and iPadOS inevitably embrace new wallpapers and customization choices, for example altering what you are able to do with widgets or your lockscreen. tvOS will get occasional screensaver additions, whereas watchOS will get a number of new watchfaces, and up to date “seasonal” coloration palettes. Apple is overdue for launching a third-party face gallery, however I digress.

My subject is the remainder of the yr. The corporate releases a tiny little bit of Black Historical past Month materials in February, and related Pleasure Month materials in June…after which, nearly nothing. There’s not often any materials linked to Christmas, Eid, Hanukkah, Diwali, or different main non secular holidays, and principally secular occasions like July 4th and Halloween get quick shrift, too. Even if you’re deeply invested in issues like black historical past and LGBT rights, you is likely to be disenchanted by what Apple places out. The 2025 Black Historical past pack consisted of a single Unity wallpaper in a number of variations, and a single watchface restricted to an imprecise analog dial with simply two issues. Look, a lot of my household is black — however I must know time right down to the minute, and I have been spoiled by the Modular Extremely face, which permits as much as seven issues.

To be honest, lots of people are tremendous with current choices, and like their very own wallpapers anyway. I am in all probability far too invested in customized wallpapers, the truth is — my iPhone’s homescreen cycles by dozens of them each week, and I am all the time on the hunt for extra. I do know loads of different persons are tremendous with a single image of their companion, household, or pet.

There’s undoubtedly a gaggle on the market, although, that might get enthusiastic about new customizations dropping each month, or at the least each few months. Everybody likes free stuff, and Apple has entry to lots of {of professional} artists, in addition to the center of its working programs. It may well pull off some distinctive visible aptitude. If it wished to, it may launch new icon packs, new filters, and new fonts, permitting everybody to create a glance that is one-of-a-kind. That might be a tremendous method to upend the flexibleness its rivals are recognized for.

These adjustments would not essentially persuade anybody to purchase an iPhone or a Mac for the primary time, however it could be one other incentive to remain within the Apple ecosystem. Individuals leaping ship to Android or Home windows may miss their month-to-month hit, a lot in the identical approach that I might miss my weekly hit from Spotify’s Launch Radar if I jumped ship to Apple Music. After I phrase it that approach, it is obscure why Apple is not already invested in an idea like theme packs.

The hindrances

What’s holding Apple again, and a few remaining ideas

The obvious rationalization on paper is that Apple has restricted assets. That may sound ludicrous to a few of you, since I am speaking a couple of four-trillion greenback megacorporation, however the firm does have many various product traces, all of which demand an enormous quantity of labor simply help their current software program. The thought of splitting or increasing assets to make issues a little bit prettier could also be exhausting to justify, significantly with Apple Intelligence and Siri nonetheless languishing years behind Google Gemini. The thought of ramping up customization could not have even crossed the C-suite’s thoughts. Heck, it is on the verge of reinvigorating its smart home lineup by merchandise like a hub show.

It is fairly clear, nonetheless, that Apple really does have assets to spare. It spent billions of {dollars} on its Apple Automotive undertaking, participating in a poaching conflict with Tesla, solely to cancel it unceremoniously because it wavered on what the last word purpose was. Essentially the most we acquired out of it — if something — could have been CarPlay Extremely and a few enhancements to Apple Maps. If it will probably afford that, it will probably afford to commit a number of million {dollars} yearly in direction of one thing extra of its clients can benefit from.

Maybe Apple is anxious about sustaining a constant aesthetic. It is a generally accepted purpose why Apple took so lengthy to allow us to tint icons a special shade, and why it nonetheless limits watchfaces. The extra customizable issues are, the upper the prospect of clashing and even damaged interface parts, which could flip some folks off and have an effect on word-of-mouth. Definitely, some customers appeared to throw style out the window when iOS 18 arrived.

It is as much as clients to resolve what constitutes “style,” although. Somebody who buys an Apple product would not simply think about it a portal into different services — they (rightfully) think about it their property and an extension of their persona. Most individuals are additionally sensible sufficient to acknowledge that in the event that they tweak one thing, and it would not look nice, that is likely to be their very own fault. If I do not just like the look of a neon-green kitchen renovation, I will blame my very own choices, not the corporate that bought me the brushes and paint cans.

Is there an opportunity Apple goes to take up the concept of extra content material releases and customization choices, maybe beginning with iOS 27? It is potential, however I doubt it. Rumors recommend that Apple’s massive focus in 2026 will likely be creating an interface for the iPhone Fold, demanding not only a larger and extra versatile format, however the addition of multi-window help and another utterly new capabilities. It isn’t even clear that Apple will ship on the Siri upgrades it first promised in 2024. I am simply hoping that op-eds like this can hold the significance of personalization on Apple’s radar by making a sound enterprise case.