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Tesla Design Chief on Apple Products: 'There's Nothing to Look Forward To'
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You not upgrading annually doesn’t mean that Apple has stopped innovating. It was 16 years from the Mac to the iPod, 7 years further to the iPhone, 3 more years to the iPad, and 5 further years to the Watch. Apple’s been busy and has completely changed three separate markets in the short span of 15 years. Iteration is part and parcel once the larger innovation has taken place and Apple continues to do what they did with the Mac. If the AR headset pays off, and we see a broader acceptance of AR/VR than what currently exists, Apple will be lauded once again. That’s the true innovation that exists inside and outside of the actual hardware products Apple creates. Taking some obtuse tech concept others are doing, doing it better and changing the industry as a whole.
I use my AppleWatch and AirPods as Walkman while mowing my lawn. If someone in the house needs me, then can call me and I hear them over the mower. And, with the Watch SE has 32GB of storage, plenty of space for my playlist. Also, if anything happens to the watch, it's cheaper to replace than the phone.
Franz probably doesn't mow his own lawn.
Franz probably doesn't mow his own lawn.
Too late
They are out in droves with knives and pitchforks
Who dares attack our benevolent overlords apple ??
Elon does a damn good job acting mature when it’s China. He absolutely has the ability to act like an adult, he chooses to act like he is a middle schooler who is above the law (to be fair, he effectively is above the law in the US). Heck, even a few years ago when Tesla was still struggling his behavior was nowhere near as bad.
Absolutely. What he has managed to accomplish in nothing short of incredible. Disrupting aerospace and automotive- two of the most capital-intensive, highest barriers to entry industries is an amazing feat. The man has done more for American manufacturing than anyone since Henry Ford.
If you mean topping the iPhone, literally the most successful product of all time, no. But they’ve iterated nicely, and AirPods, Apple Watch and M1 are genuinely innovative products.
Maybe, in terms of new product category. Apple is a huge company now that anything out of the ordinary can be risky. Just look at the Homepod. They didn't even dare to do more/expand the original concept, and simply made a small cheaper speaker. Safer and not taking any risks.
But then there's Apple Silicon. This is the innovation. Having your own custom SoC is the dream of any other tech company.
Seeing how Apple can get so easily distracted (iOS 15 bugginess), I'd rather them focus and making sure their existing software roadmap and development is solid first rather than venturing to other things. No point in having some fancy new product when your existing products get ruined in bugs.
Just another lackey sucking up to Musk, hoping to get in on the Mars colony where he will live in a government-free environment.
Just imagine, living in a culture run by Musk.
Just imagine, living in a culture run by Musk.
It’s like saying we only use the car to drive.
Tesla design chief Franz von Holzhausen recently commented on Apple's design principles and product launches, lamenting that Apple doesn't deliver something "to look forward to."
During a podcast interview with Spike Feresten of Spike's Car Radio (via iPhone in Canada and Sawyer Merritt), Holzhausen said that Apple's devices are "just a continuation" and a "slight refinement on the same thing."
He also said that he "hates to say it" but he wears an Apple Watch "just because of the fitness thing side to it. Otherwise I haven't really found much purpose to it, other than the fitness part."
Holzhausen is responsible for designing the Tesla Model S, the Model 3, the Model X, and the Model Y, along with the unreleased Cybertruck. He has been with Tesla since 2008, and before that, he was the chief of design at Mazda and led the design of the Mazda Kabura concept car.
Apple and Tesla have a long history of poaching employees from one another, and Tesla CEO Elon Musk has also publicly sniped at Apple. Back in 2015, Musk famously called Apple the "Tesla Graveyard," and claimed that "if you don't make it at Tesla, you go work at Apple."
Article Link: Tesla Design Chief on Apple Products: 'There's Nothing to Look Forward To'
Out of interest if you don't like Tesla's design what would you consider better. I would say something like the Aston Martin DB11 probably looks better than the new Tesla Roadster but the Roadster still looks good. When it comes to EV's other manufactures almost seem like they are making their EV's ugly on purpose. Polestar and Jaguar are OK, but that's about it... Lucid looks terrible.
Okay, this is one of those few situations where I actually listened to the podcast in question.
So this wasn't like, a major Apple discussion in the show. They were wrapping up and mentioning a bunch of casual stuff. This is the same episode where they discuss the double-glass-break on the Cybertuck reveal. Apparently throwing the second ball was actually reheared for in the unlikely event that the window breaks (never did in rehersal) when they threw the first ball. Kinda funny.
In addition, he's speaking entirely about his own personal usage of these kind of products; they weren't exactly discussing the smartphone industry. And he's also speaking as someone who didn't think he would own any Apple products, and now has both an iPhone and a Watch. I kinda wish that little detail hadn't been glossed over in this story.
So this wasn't like, a major Apple discussion in the show. They were wrapping up and mentioning a bunch of casual stuff. This is the same episode where they discuss the double-glass-break on the Cybertuck reveal. Apparently throwing the second ball was actually reheared for in the unlikely event that the window breaks (never did in rehersal) when they threw the first ball. Kinda funny.
In addition, he's speaking entirely about his own personal usage of these kind of products; they weren't exactly discussing the smartphone industry. And he's also speaking as someone who didn't think he would own any Apple products, and now has both an iPhone and a Watch. I kinda wish that little detail hadn't been glossed over in this story.
TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️
Suspended
Tesla doesn’t even evolve, they just put more batteries and bigger motors in the same car over and over again.
Agree. But I suspect the issue has more to do with the continuous focus on Apple rather than anything Apple is doing wrong. Before the Keynote event in September, there were already rumors about the specs for the iPhone 14. While SJ used to surprise with "One more thing. . .", too many eyes on are Apple for that to ever occur today. Thus when the "event" happens, everyone has a pretty good idea about what is going to be announced.
Personally, I am sad that Apple is no longer able to surprise me. But that is a sign of Apple's success rather than their inability to innovate.
(apologies if someone already posted this rant. . . . too lazy to read through all 12 pgs.)
He's not wrong. It's been a long time since we saw a new Apple product that was as exciting as, say, the original iPod, the iPhone, or the first Macbook Air.
That said, I think Holzhausen made one good exterior design at Tesla (the Model S, although that is now getting very long in the tooth), and then it got iteratively worse. The Model X looks at best "interesting", the Model 3 design only works from some angles, the Model Y is probably the laziest car design ever (literally a vertically stretched Model 3), and the less said about the Cybertruck the better. And their interiors were never good. I'm a Tesla driver myself, but certainly not because of Holzhausen's designs.
That said, I think Holzhausen made one good exterior design at Tesla (the Model S, although that is now getting very long in the tooth), and then it got iteratively worse. The Model X looks at best "interesting", the Model 3 design only works from some angles, the Model Y is probably the laziest car design ever (literally a vertically stretched Model 3), and the less said about the Cybertruck the better. And their interiors were never good. I'm a Tesla driver myself, but certainly not because of Holzhausen's designs.
If you are in a glass house …
Seriously, I love a lot of the ideas behind Tesla’s cars, but their exterior design has been atrociously … boring. With the exception of the Cybertruck, of course.
Seriously, I love a lot of the ideas behind Tesla’s cars, but their exterior design has been atrociously … boring. With the exception of the Cybertruck, of course.
I mean to be fair it would seem to be a lot more difficult to build a new a 40+k model of car every year vs a smaller piece of tech I think?
Hmmm yes and no. Exteriors for sure, but I feel like there's been some pretty interesting interior changes with recent remodels. The S in particular. Not sure they are great ideas though. Like, not feeling the button lane signals and the weird steering wheel doesn't seem like it would be the most functional to me but I also haven't used them.
He's not wrong. Just compare how the world reacted to the reveal of iTunes, iPod, iPad and iPhone to anything they've released since. It's like two different companies.