John Gruber Reacts to Apple Declining His Interview After His Criticism

[Celtic-moniker]

Gruber turned the problems with AI into a soap opera for clicks. His ‘win’ only makes him look independent to an audience he isn’t really relevant to. He can bang that drum as hard as he wants, but his business isn’t about offering critical journalism analysis of a corporate narrative but is, or at least was, for developers seeking views on Apple platforms looking forward towards future opportunities, products and trends. Now he’s Jeremy Clarkson post Top Gear - waning in industry relevance so he becomes the product.
Gruber offered vision until drama offered clicks. He fed off turmoil and boiled down rumour, then offered this up to an audience seeking direction. He basically became as relevant as an Android fanboy trolling this very page, offering entertainment and fodder for ragebaiting over insights.
Was Apple being petty? You can critique that until the cows come home and gain nothing. But it’s clear to Apple that further engaging with him now cheapens their brand.
I’d love for Gruber to offer the same level of insight backing up his ‘win’ as he offered on Apple Products in the past. But I think he’s too busy bathing in his newfound ‘independence’ to stop and go.. “wait, did I really trade my credibility for a chance to add to a soap opera”?

 

[tylerthomas28]

He is right. Apple under delivered heavily with Siri. Call balls and strikes as it is.

 

[shenfrey]

I’m sure that this will be a totally sane and well thought out discussion thread 🤣

With that said, I’m not surprised that Apple would retaliate and am even less surprised that Gruber would proclaim victory. Two stubborn entities that don’t like admitting a potential weakness.

What weakness did Gruber show though? he criticised Apple Intelligence and Apples handling of it, which was rightly so, Apple retaliated by saying 'No interview for you, you criticised us'.

I don't see what Gruber did wrong in this situation, unless there's a personal vendetta out against the guy from many individuals?

 

[blairh]

I have a lot of issues with Gruber but he wrote an accurate piece and Apple looks ridiculous reacting this way.

 

[KeesdeW]

I don’t care that Apple intelligence isn’t fully out yet. I appreciate the features that are working. AI isn’t really a race that anyone should be running to finish without actually knowing the consequences and improving it, rather than throwing out some half baked features.

This goes back much further though. Siri has sucked from day one and barely improved after. Promising that after all these years of barely functioning, now AI is going to finally make Siri useful and then not delivering on that promise again does seem to point at some rather fundamental problems

 

[uacd]

Heard few opinions here in this comment section that can be summed up as John Gruber being “too bitter”.

Well, it is a journalist’s job to be bitter! And companies nowadays have been real cozy to the culture of “warm baths”, which they created through this “if you say something bad, we are out” mentality.

It doesn’t work like that. It should be different.

If you create “bs” (in John’s words btw), you should expect to be criticized.

For more than a decade I have seen emergence of this “appeasing” phenomena for all tech companies, their actions, failures or even “not so legal” stuff like data steal for AI training. It is especially well-documented among YouTube tech bloggers who will both grab money for promoting some useless trash (like UnboxTherapy), or literally sending letters of love to Apple execs (like MKBHD).

Contrary to popular beliefs, this is NOT journalism. This is what journalism is in authoritarian regimes where dictators would kill or maim for a bit of truth.

How come we have barely seen any critique of butterfly keyboards design? It was a big deal, 2015-2019 MacBook era is totally wasted. And iOS 7? I have literally seen many journalists copying Apple’s (or maybe Jony Ive’s, who doesn’t even work there anymore LOL!!) weird narratives like “skeuomorphism is dead”. Yeah, long live liquid glass, right??

And I can name thousands and thousands of such examples when so-called “journalists” were holding their heads in sands when there were actual issues with devices like that more than half of iPhone 6s models sold had defective batteries right from the factory. No one ever cared to mention the issue in a blogpost or video. And Apple (and other companies as well such as Google and MS) would really love to maintain such a culture.

Btw, why there are almost no critics from journalists about how awful Windows is nowadays? Yeah it was always kinda awful - remember ugly Starter editions where you couldn’t even change wallpapers? And now, literal spyware systems with ads in start menu, sluggish performance even on good enough computers, also the fact that you cannot turn off updating anymore: a Microsoft’s brand new “anti-piracy” measure lol?

And no one mentions that PC market nowadays is a dumpster fire. We still have models of small laptops with fans and inefficient cooling! My MacBook Air M1 laughs in face of every 1000$ laptop on the market, because none of them offer passive cooling system so I can throw this aluminum beast on any dusty surface and not care that it will choke itself.

In fact, journalists still fail to criticize market stagnation, huge corner cutting by following manufacturers - they even use cheaper plastic nowadays for their Windows laptops, and would tell it is because those are budget models. Well, good luck to find better plastic in their premium 3000$ models! Cause it is what they call premium, anything sub 1500$ for them is budget🤦‍♂️

In fact, companies and manufacturers get away not just with underdelivery of some features but with the fact they can literally sell trash and no one would ever brag about it being trash

 

[laptech]

Apple get called out for making a bad business decision and they don't like it. When a company makes public statements of going to do something and they don't, they should be called out for it and that is exactly what John Gruber did.

This just goes to show how arrogant and petulant Apple are when they think they can go around publicly saying what ever they like and if anyone dares speak out against them they get banned from dealing with Apple.

 

[R2FX]

The only reason anyone knows who tf he is, is that he has made milking Apple his entire identity. He hasn’t created anything that I’m aware of.

he nearly created one dead body on the highway between Abu Dhabi and KSA border when I almost fell asleep listening to his podcast

 

[Boeingfan]

There are paragraphs of this. Is this just ChatGPT?

I’m flattered but no this is little old me. Perhaps ChatGPT could help with a TLDR version if that’s what you prefer.

 

[Big_D]

Agree with Gruber here. Apple doesn’t like it when they’re fairly criticized for over-promising and massively under-delivering.

Exactly, "fans" should be there to praise and celebrate when the object of their adoration gets things right, but just as important is that they speak out when things go wrong or there are miss-steps.

Likewise, Apple should be happy when its fans are happy, but when knowledgable fans criticise them, they should sit up and take notice. But it is Apple's track record, instead of taking criticism on board, it has almost always banned those who are critical of them from ever taking part in the conversation going forward.

It is the business equivalent of the King's New Clothes fable. They keep listening to their yes-men, and banishing those that dare to criticise, until they find themselves standing, metaphorically speaking, naked before the whole world.

 

[svish]

Don't think Apple will ever return to that talk show. There will be always other hosts with whom Apple will participate.

 

[BhaveshUK]

The assessment that this makes Apple look small is fair. Apple gives airtime to influencers like iJustine who never criticise them and consistently flatter the brand. It’s a strategy that plays well to their ego but offers no accountability. Under Steve Jobs, this kind of deflection had more impact because it was paired with clear product vision and leadership.

Today, it just comes off as defensive. Apple increasingly looks arrogant in how it deals with developers, customers, the press, and even regulators. Rather than drawing me closer to the company, this attitude has pushed me further away. One of the many reasons I'm now using a Pixel 8 Pro rather than an iPhone as my daily driver.

 

[aevan]

Ok Gruber, whatever, but now that bridge is burnt down for good

People call him a “shill”, but when he proves he’s not, they are making fun of him. It’s almost as if most people online are negative and cynical about stuff.

 

[KennyJr]

I'm sorry Mr. Gruber but I'll have to side with Apple here. What you unwisely wrote last year was mean, unfair, and rather damaging to Apple's reputation. It's not what you said - it's the way that you said it.

 

[odedia]

Which is quite a big deal. It is used on Reddit, a top-10 website in the world.

It is used everywhere. Almost any blogging site uses it. Github uses it for READMEs. It's a de-facto standard.

 

[unregbaron]

Apple would have looked stronger by having to discuss it with Gruber. It would have diffused the situation - now it has made a story out of it.

 

[skit911]

Every year between 2015 and 2024, at least one Apple executive agreed to be interviewed by Daring Fireball's John Gruber for a special WWDC episode of his podcast, The Talk Show. Last year, for example, Apple's software engineering chief Craig Federighi, marketing chief Greg Joswiak, and top AI researcher John Giannandrea joined Gruber on stage at the California Theatre in San Jose to discuss Apple Intelligence and more.

Apple's response to Gruber's interview request (basically)​

That decade-long tradition abruptly came to an end last month, when Apple declined Gruber's invitation to speak for this year's special episode.

A few months prior to that, Gruber published a blog post that was heavily critical of Apple. In that piece, the well-known Apple pundit said that the company "pitched a story that wasn't true" at WWDC 2024, when it previewed a more personalized Siri that was not close to being ready and is now delayed. He said that the situation damaged Apple's credibility, and he expressed concern that it could be a sign of bigger problems inside the company.

Unsurprisingly, Apple did not like the commentary.

In the latest episode of the Channels podcast, Gruber told Business Insider's Peter Kafka that Apple was "not happy" about the blog post and felt it was unfair.

However, Gruber said Apple's absence was actually a net positive for him.

"I'm not trying to lack humility here — but I feel them deciding not to do my show this year is a total win for me and was a huge loss for them," he said.

Why does he believe that?

"I think it asserts my independence," he argued. "And I think more than making me look good, I think it makes them look bad."

For his WWDC 2025 episode, Gruber ended up interviewing The Wall Street Journal's Joanna Stern and The Verge's Nilay Patel.

Article Link: John Gruber Reacts to Apple Declining His Interview After His Criticism

Yeah Gruber is a joke.

 

[Trusteft]

I care for him as much as I care for Siri. Zero.

BUT, if that is indeed why Apple said no, that's just pathetic for Apple. Very small dick energy.

 

[skit911]

Being praised by Nilay Patel is not something to be proud of.


Goober can cope however he wants, but Apple was right to cut him off after he acted so unprofessionally.

Yeah Nilay and Gruber are the bottom of the barrel when it comes to Apple journalism.

Stern doesn’t belong there. She can be rocky sometimes but she’s a good journalist

 

[TechWhisperer]

Apple as a company exhibits narcissistic tendencies, still haunted by Steve Jobs’ authoritarian legacy. Any criticism triggers defensive retaliation rather than constructive engagement, a petty response that reveals the company’s fragile ego beneath its polished exterior. This thin-skinned defensiveness exposes Apple’s true character: an organization that demands reverence while punishing dissent.

In contrast, John embodies what most clout-chasing YouTubers abandon in pursuit of views and brand partnerships: genuine critical analysis and uncompromising truth-seeking. While others sanitize their content to maintain access and sponsorship deals, John prioritizes intellectual honesty over corporate approval, making his voice kinda rare and valuable in today’s compromised media landscape. I’m not a John Gruber fan, but what he did is true journalism.

 

[Michael Scrip]

Apple got egg on their face by showing a bunch of AI stuff at WWDC 2024 that never shipped. They said it was coming. They even had TV commercials talking about it.

Well good thing they were finally able to launch that stuff at WWDC 2025

Oh wait... they still don't have it working?

Maybe that's why Gruber said what he said. I dunno...

🤣

 

[pollycat]

Every year between 2015 and 2024, at least one Apple executive agreed to be interviewed by Daring Fireball's John Gruber for a special WWDC episode of his podcast, The Talk Show. Last year, for example, Apple's software engineering chief Craig Federighi, marketing chief Greg Joswiak, and top AI researcher John Giannandrea joined Gruber on stage at the California Theatre in San Jose to discuss Apple Intelligence and more.

Apple's response to Gruber's interview request (basically)​

That decade-long tradition abruptly came to an end last month, when Apple declined Gruber's invitation to speak for this year's special episode.

A few months prior to that, Gruber published a blog post that was heavily critical of Apple. In that piece, the well-known Apple pundit said that the company "pitched a story that wasn't true" at WWDC 2024, when it previewed a more personalized Siri that was not close to being ready and is now delayed. He said that the situation damaged Apple's credibility, and he expressed concern that it could be a sign of bigger problems inside the company.

Unsurprisingly, Apple did not like the commentary.

In the latest episode of the Channels podcast, Gruber told Business Insider's Peter Kafka that Apple was "not happy" about the blog post and felt it was unfair.

However, Gruber said Apple's absence was actually a net positive for him.

"I'm not trying to lack humility here — but I feel them deciding not to do my show this year is a total win for me and was a huge loss for them," he said.

Why does he believe that?

"I think it asserts my independence," he argued. "And I think more than making me look good, I think it makes them look bad."

For his WWDC 2025 episode, Gruber ended up interviewing The Wall Street Journal's Joanna Stern and The Verge's Nilay Patel.

Article Link: John Gruber Reacts to Apple Declining His Interview After His Criticism

Gruber and Leo Laporte might find some things to talk about now.

 

[Ctrlos]

This is typical of the modern Apple internal culture: ignore constructive criticism, don't engage with users, attempt to circumvent the law, pay staff to commit perjury, protect shareholders over customers. In terms of management they are no different to any other silicon valley giant now.

I'm not knocking Apple's product development for one second. But the arrogance of their position at the top of the food chain is starting to leak out.

This is most definitely not the scrappy underdog we all fell for because we really didn't like Windows XP anymore. I feel there are a vein of users out there who will defend their anti-consumer/developer actions because they don;t want to think of Apple in the same sentence as Meta.

 

[trusso]

I could write a long screed, but it really boils down to one simple fact:

Apple and Gruber are both full of themselves.

Full stop. No need to give this any more ink.

/thread

 

[Pezimak]

You didn't read anything in this thread, did you?

They've been giving interviews left and right about this, and they haven't shut out people who criticized them. Only that those people didn't write things like the "I wonder" post.

Quite literally the story of this article, read the article instead of the replies to it.