Kuo: Cook Should Personally Address Siri Apple Intelligence Failure

[MacRumors]

Apple made a major misstep with the way that it handled the delay of Apple Intelligence features for Siri, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said today. Announcing the delay through a press statement was a bad decision, and Apple should instead have gone through official channels.

Kuo referenced the well-known "Antennagate" PR crisis when the iPhone 4 launched in 2010, and the way that then Apple CEO Steve Jobs handled it. Jobs personally responded to multiple customer emails, and then Apple held a press conference to address concerns about the iPhone 4's cellular signal. Jobs ended up announcing that Apple would provide free bumpers for all iPhone 4 uses to mitigate the issue, and allow customers who were still unhappy to return their iPhones.

The implication in Kuo's statement is that Apple CEO Tim Cook and other executives should follow Jobs' example, giving customers more insight into what's going wrong with Siri development.

I think the worst part is that when it came time to admit that Apple Intelligence (Siri) development wasn't going as planned, Apple chose to break the news to the world through an unofficial channel. This is how the world's most valuable company handles a PR crisis.

What should Apple have done? The way Steve Jobs personally addressed the iPhone 4 antennagate PR crisis back in the day provides a great example.

Kuo acknowledges that it takes time to develop artificial intelligence services, and that Apple's early announcement of Apple Intelligence Siri features at WWDC 2024 is understandable "given the pressure from the board and shareholders." With the company unable to deliver the feature set in the promised timeline, Apple needs to provide a more concrete response.

In the midst of Antennagate, Jobs was transparent about Apple's position and offered a concrete solution. Jobs said that Apple did not "fully understand if there were problems" when the iPhone 4 first came out, but that the company had a responsibility to educate as a "leader in the smartphone world." "We're not perfect, and we're working our asses off," Jobs said.

Back in 2012, Cook did personally address Apple Maps shortcomings in iOS 6, penning an apology letter to customers. He told customers that he was sorry, and he provided insight into Apple's work to make the Maps app better. Given the uproar over the delayed Siri overhaul, it could make sense for Cook to again speak to customers directly.

Article Link: Kuo: Cook Should Personally Address Siri Apple Intelligence Failure

 

[nikhsub1]

Anyone born before say, 1990 would agree with the above sentiments. Anyone born after don't really care.

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

Absolutely he should.

 

[kagharaht]

Maybe the tested it with several HomePods and we know what a disaster that thing is with Siri.

 

[ss2cire]

Personally, as a developer, I would like to see a more technical overview of why the delay is happening. Regular consumers don't need the extra details and would probably get confused.

Overall, apple effed up, ok. Get to work and try and deliver at a later date, give and overview of what is needed and announce stuff when it's actually close to being ready.

Part of the problem is requiring full on new features every single major OS update. The devs can't keep up. Lets slow down and release smaller but more polished features when ready.

 

[TechnoMonk]

I couldn’t care less about Siri. Apple needs to beef up the MLX team.

 

[JPack]

A personal address by Tim Cook means admission of fault and class action lawsuit. Why do you think iPhone 16 product pages were updated so quickly?

Apple has sold 80 million units of the iPhone 16 series so far. Can you imagine what would happen? Right now, Cook's team is just praying nothing big will happen.

iPhone 4 was solved with a 25 cent bumper. It was only a month of sales and people were excited about upgrading their iPhones each year. Not so much with iPhone 16.

 

[spazzcat]

This is a manufactured crisis.

 

[mansplains]

Should but won’t

 

[spazzcat]

Absolutely he should.

When it is ready it will be released.

 

[DBZmusicboy01]

iOS 18 has been the most garbage software release from Apple ever due to being EXTREMELY Buggy & Slow. Even on the most current iPhones.

 

[Naraxus]

Antennagate was a complete nothing burger of an issue.

 

[DocMultimedia]

I think Apple going back to live keynotes and getting more personal would be a very good thing. They've become a slick marketing company that no longer connects with the tech folk, so we start investigating options.

They should just fess up. It didn't go well.

 

[Chungry]

Should?
Oh you sweet summer child Apple is perfect they would never deign to own a mistake. That's for mere mortals.

 

[jgdeschamps]

Please, please! Let me do it!!
"You are asking it wrong!"
That's how Steve handled it originally.

EDIT: Just friendly humor.

 

[I7guy]

“Antenna gate” was different. There was no software solution.

 

[ThisIsMike]

The problem is that for Apple or Tim Cook to step forward here and to the right thing, they'd have to essentially make the same offer that Jobs made then - if you're not happy with having purchased an iPhone 16 that was supposed to have an advanced Siri, you can return the phone. Does anyone actually think they're going to offer that solution?

Honestly, this is a bad sitch. They sold these devices on the basis of these AI features, and a conversational, useful Siri is probably the feature everyone with an iPhone 16 was most anticipating. As much as I hate to say it, a class-action wouldn't be inappropriate here, and I think ultimately a lot of folks are going to get a payout.

 

[Macalway]

It's worse with the PC world. Copilot anyone? Total failure. And worse, all those iffy Windows Arm machines, that will only succeed if Intel fails miserably going forward, which although possible, is unlikely.

It's like any mania, and it's one mania after another. Place your bets.

The mad rush for that NPU that's does nothing. PU is right. OH! but there's image playground.

You can't make this stuff up.

 

[rikki_t]

The AI debacle strikes me as being trivial, when we went from OS 9.4 to X, an OS that was completely unusable for several years, Leopard being the first really usable version, no one apologised, why now ?

 

[Nozuka]

Anyone born before say, 1990 would agree with the above sentiments. Anyone born after don't really care.

Born before 1990.
I would agree if there were real problems with the devices....... but this is just Siri, that everyone has given up on anyway.

 

[jwsf28]

So… everybody whines and moans that Apple intelligence isn’t a good selling point and a lot of people even say that they keep it turned off… but Apple should grovel and beg for peoples’ forgiveness because one aspect of it isn’t ready yet? Make it make sense.

 

[darngooddesign]

iOS 18 has been the most garbage software release from Apple ever due to being EXTREMELY Buggy & Slow. Even on the most current iPhones.

It's been fine for me, no problems on my 15 Pro or M1 iPad Pro.

 

[BB1970]

No one is buying an iPhone or any Apple product because of Apple Intelligence.
At all.
The fallout will be a collective shrug.

 

[t0rqx]

Bring back the QC on the Macbook Pro screens which are manufactured with physical dents in the screen while you at it!

 

[SilmarilFinder]

It was obvious that the “launch now, figure it out later” approach would end up in this mess.

Products fail, delays happen, and timelines get screwed up. That’s just reality. But the real problem is the arrogance with Tim.

In the boardroom, Tim is definitely thinking, “Ah, they’ll buy it anyway.” But outside of the Mac lineup and Apple Silicon, there’s been no real change in the products, yes better screens on some models, better suitability for an extremely niche market segment, but thats it. iPhones and iPads feel like they’re stuck on repeat.

As a customer, since 2022, I feel like nothing more than a walking dollar sign to Tim. Apple used to make people feel like they mattered or at least they were launching products that are appealing and has a story. Now it just feels like an endless cash grab, and it’s getting harder to ignore.