Tesla Design Chief on Apple Products: 'There's Nothing to Look Forward To'

[Cosmosent]

I agree 100% with what he said.

Tim Cook is NOT a products OR services guy, he has a Manufacturing Operations background.

Why do you think Apple is pouring so much Coin into its AppleTV+ service ?

Do you think a CEO with a products OR services background would be doing that ?

 

[Wildkraut]

It’s not like the Tesla’s are so nice looking, Model 3 barf, Model y soso, Molde S really dated, Model X OK, but nobody I know likes my X. I’m still thorn between the Taycan and it’s sister car the E-Tron GT … but I prefer the Cross tourismo for the moment … and they charge really really fast and have a flat charging curve, not like my Model X that only charges 130kW for like the first 15%, another issue … And the driving experience … man I forgot how German cars have that feel on the road, nothing compares

Yep they aren't, but soon plenty of EV will come out and we will have more choices.
/me looks at Jaguar...

 

[CSoren]

Telsa Calls innovation taking out the steering wheel and putting in a useless yoke

 

[gknewell]

Oh. Snap.

 

[Robert.Walter]

Tough talk won’t save you Franz when Ford kills your ugly cybertruck and Apple starts eating your passcar business for lunch.

 

[gglockner]

A bit rich coming from the company that makes 4 cars that look so similar.

 

[easy4lif]

Hey hey hey, at least Tesla finally delivered full auto pilot like they did in 2015, and 2016, and 2017, and 2018, and 2019 etc etc etc

 

[cult hero]

The guy that designed the Cybertruck is saying all this? That pretty much explains it.

Haha. The Cybertruck is ultimately going to be the new Hummer. It's a vehicle for people, especially guys, who have enough money to buy a vehicle that makes them feel masculine and they'll flip every time it gets a scratch.

I find this really weird:

The sad part about Apple products now is like there's nothing to look forward to. I feel like it's just a continuation. It's just a slight refinement on the same thing. Inspirationally, it's been hard to get super motivated by what they're doing.

What exactly is anyone doing? I mean, Tesla makes some nice electric cars and made them "cool" and status symbols. Okay. Exactly what established, operating company is doing much more than "continuation." Once you get big you just buy up the little guys building something you want in your greater product portfolio. You're either servicing a market or looking for one. Big companies are generally in the former.

Apple's been all about its platform for decades. That's their thing. Inspiration in a company is usually at much smaller levels. People want some magical next big thing but... Apple makes good products with a high profit margin and has one of the most valuable brands on the planet. Seems like continuation is probably a good idea, lol. Also, Apple's CEO doesn't take to Twitter to act like a jackass.

 

[ilikewhey]

Mind you that's only the US, and it's way less than 5 years out, and the scale of it will be about 10x that of Tesla's current sales.

The next step is cobalt free lithium ion, which Tesla will be sourcing from Japanese and Chinese companies who already have it - and that are already hand in hand with Toyota and Honda. Tesla has no leg up on technology here, they aren't the ones developing battery technologies to replace Lithium Ion, and they're going to have to bid on these things just like everyone else. If Toyota wanted to merely sell Tesla numbers of EVs, it would be a hell of a lot easier. Still wondering what Tesla has that's so far ahead if it's not the software. Is it the cybertruck?

they will have 4 gigafactories, housing gigapress that do away with the traditional notion of manufacturing, exclusive contract with numbers of mining operations, and the most efficient motor on the market, say what you want about autopilot, but its miles ahead of mobileye, or anything current mfg deployed thus far.

raw materials will skyrocket 10x in the coming decade, when toyota finally be sourcing the materials needed for EV, they will have to hit the ground running trying to reduce cost as much as they can just to keep up with tesla.

 

[Robert.Walter]

Tesla does not even update their cars annually. In its entire run, the Model S has had only 1 iterative revision. I can barely tell the Model 3 and the Model Y apart. Only two new things they have done are Model X (which has not significantly changed since release) and the (gag) cybertruck which they have not delivered.

Of all people to complain that Apple is not doing anything new in design it should not be coming from this guy. Even copycat Samsung has done more drastic innovative designs with their foldable phones.

UPDATE: I figured out what he must have meant by “There’s Nothing to Look Forward To”. He thinks Apple should announce more products and services that they are not going to deliver for years or ever. That way you can look forward to them.

Tesla has set the example here:
- Tesla Semi
- Tesla Roadster
- Tesla Cybertruck

And the best one of all… the one you can pay for in advance while looking forward to it and hoping it will one day work:
- Tesla Full Self Driving

True summary and analysis.

One correction: “Hoping FSD will one day work before it kills you”.

 

[44267547]

A bit rich coming from the company that makes 4 cars that look so similar.

Who really cares if they look similar? I mean, I could make the counter argument about other manufacturers too.

FYI…. There’s some pretty striking differences between the Model 3, Model Y and Plaid for example.

 

[starman111]

Personally, I wish Tesla would backtrack with some of their innovations. I don't mind having a big screen, but I want real knobs to control airflow, a physical handle that opens the glove box, and support for Car Play.

 

[kirk.vino]

It's a little funny coming from the guy who designs....only cars. Isn't each new model just a continuation of a....car?

 

[Tempor_aka]

Interesting how many of the replies here are just attacking the messenger (or the messenger’s designs) instead of engaging with the actual point, which is valid.

The replies about Tesla doing iterative updates are also valid.

And I say this as a big fan of both companies. My personal electronics are apple, my car is a Tesla, and they are my two biggest stock positions. But it’s a valid point to make about both company’s designs.

I have both too and I can honestly say I disagree, Apple has revolutionized on more occasions than Tesla … But some are more noticeable than others, many disregard what Apple has done in the last year with M1, amazing performance + battery life, yes it’s just a portable, but the advancement is a revolution … iPod, iPhone, iPad, Watch and now Apple Silicon every 5 to 10 years they revolutionized each and every category … My 2020 Tesla in the mean time has few safety features compared to my 6 year old Audi, AP with more phantom braking than an apprentice driver, no CarPlay, handsfree kit that sounds like I’m standing in the wind when driving on the highway, build quality (interior squeaks), mirrors that do not unfold when it freezes … update 11 WTF seat heating buried in a sub menu??!! The list is long and when I talk to other S/X drivers the same points come up (less with 3 and Y drivers, but I guess that is they never experienced the higher end German cars …) I’m happy they opened up the SC network in Europe, so I can go back to a German quality EV. Granted for me that is/was the best thing about Tesla the SC network …

 

[reflekshunmusic]

The guy that designed the Cybertruck is saying all this? That pretty much explains it.

It's rock solid, can't crack the window ever.

 

[macduke]

Yeah, you always get these quotes from self-proclaimed "big shots" a couple years before Apple blows up a new industry. It's like they want to guarantee that they're remembered for looking stupid for the rest of history.

As for everything Tesla he has designed aside from CyberTruck, they all look exactly the same. Teslas actually haven't really innovated much since the Model S came out, and self-driving is still way off track even though they keep saying otherwise every year that slips by. And CyberTruck? Kinda stupid looking and now it's delayed. F-150 Lightning, Hummer EV, and hell even the Rivian R1T is eating their lunch.

You have to be a real special kind of dumbass to work with Elon Musk for that many years.

Meanwhile, the only thing you have to look forward to with Tesla is rapidly increasing prices. Didn't Elon say that Teslas will cost a quarter million dollars in a few years and everyone will use them as ride shares in his stupid proprietary tunnels?

 

[antnythr]

I’d argue the processors are something to write home about.

That's what I said. Apple has done a fantastic job with their line of processors.

 

[trip1ex]

What is he talking about. Apple releases new better slabs every year.

 

[MallardDuck]

Rounded corners. Square corners. Glass back. Metal Back. Thinner and portless. Thicker and useful. Wash, rinse, repeat (though hopefully it'll never swing back to thin/light/useless as much as it had).

Not sure there's any real innovation in a mature product cateogry. A phone is a phone is a phone. Form follow function. Until apple goes after new functions, there's no real room to innovate on design.

Innards? Yes. Design? Nope.

 

[Wildkraut]

A bit rich coming from the company that makes 4 cars that look so similar.

Look at the Apple devices, they look like some trainee took over a CAD template and scaled it to all kind of new devices(iPhones, iPads, Watches)

 

[knownikko]

Apple vs Tesla fanboy clash? This has a hundred pages in it easy.

 

[MallardDuck]

While I’m an Apple products user I have to agree somewhat. Apple does evolve products. Nothing really revolutionary. Very few “One more thing” moments. Just my opinion some put your flames back in your holsters.

We haven't had a real "one more thing" worthy moment in years. Partially because the supply chain spies are too good, but mostly because it's iterative change.

Not sure what that'd be today...

 

[Terrinb]

Hes not wrong though, Since Tim Cook Apple has played it very safe and has not really done a lot of exciting updates to the iPhone for example. The X was the big leap but since then innovation has stalled. The Apple Watch as well. I upgrade annually, but lets be real, Apple has not innovated in a long time.

To say Apple hasn't released exciting innovations lately isn't really fair. There is not any real reason to make visual changes to the iPhone's form factor or the Apple Watch because it doesn't make sense to change things just for the sake of changing them. Most of Apple's innovations lately have been under the hood like with Apple Silcon, which clearly is years ahead of the competition. This year's iPhone is a significant improvement in terms of performance over the two years ago phone. Tim Cook is following Apple's proven formula: namely introduce groundbreaking products and then constantly improve them until it comes up with something better. Everyone knows Apple is also working on Virtual Reality and vehicles and probably other things. Apple is not going to release those things until they are ready. Tesla's comments are kind of ironic considering how it updates its vehicles.

 

[Zwhaler]

Uh Tesla does the exact same thing to their cars every year.

Lol the irony is killing me!

 

[quagmire]

Those are just his opinions but here are some hard cold facts.

1. Tesla makes good EVs but average cars.
2. They (Tesla the Company) are over hyped and over valued and will find it really hard to compete once tax benefits for EVs dry up.
3. Elon Musk is a giant turd. Tim Cook is just a shrewd boring business exec in comparison.

Tesla's no longer qualify for the tax credit.