Top Stories: Apple Event Recap With iPhone 16 and 16 Pro, Apple Watch Series 10, AirPods 4, and More

[MacRumors]

One of the busiest weeks of the year for Apple news has drawn to a close following Monday's event that saw the unveiling of new iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods models and Friday's start of iPhone pre-orders in dozens of countries around the world.

Read on below for the biggest announcements of this week as we take a brief break ahead of a flood of software updates early next week and all of the new hardware making its way into customers' hands a few days later!

Everything Apple Announced at Monday's Event in 13 Minutes

Apple's "It's Glowtime" event on Monday was a ~100-minute whirlwind of announcements, but we've condensed it down to a 13-minute highlight reel to give you a quick way to catch up on everything.

We've also pulled together all of our news coverage from the big day in one place, so make sure to check it out and read up on your favorite Apple products that got some fresh updates.

Apple Announces iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max with Larger Displays, New Camera Control, and More

Apple on Monday announced the iPhone 16 Pro and ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ Max—its latest flagship smartphones—featuring larger displays, an all-new Camera Control button, and the A18 Pro chip.

The ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ has a 6.3-inch display, while the ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ Max features a 6.9-inch display—the biggest iPhone display ever. The borders around the display are the thinnest of any Apple device, while the titanium frame now features a new blasted finish and comes in a refreshed selection of color options: a darker Black Titanium, brighter White Titanium, Natural Titanium, and a new Desert Titanium.

Apple Announces iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus With Action Button, Camera Control, and More

Apple also announced the 6.1-inch iPhone 16 and 6.7-inch iPhone 16 Plus, with a key new feature being the Camera Control on the side of the devices. As rumored, the Camera Control is positioned below the power button, and you can control various features in the Camera app by pressing or swiping on it.

Other features include the Action button introduced on the iPhone 15 Pro models last year, a "big boost" in battery life, brighter and more durable screens, Wi-Fi 7 support, and an A18 chip with up to a twice as fast 16-core Neural Engine for Apple Intelligence. The devices have color-infused back glass, with vibrant Ultramarine, Teal, Pink, White, and Black finishes available.

Apple Announces Thinner Apple Watch Series 10 With Bigger Screen Than Ultra

Apple at its event announced the Apple Watch Series 10, featuring a wide-angle OLED display that is larger than the Apple Watch Ultra's, with the company describing the new Series 10 as the "biggest display and thinnest design ever."

The Series 10 is 9.7 mm thick, which is nearly 10% thinner than Series 9, and it weighs 20% less than the Stainless Steel Series 9. The Aluminum cases also weigh up to 10% less, while the Series 10 also comes in Grade 5 titanium, replacing stainless steel.

While we didn't get updated Apple Watch Ultra or Apple Watch SE models, we did get a new black finish for the Apple Watch Ultra 2, as well as an Apple Watch Hermès Ultra 2. Apple also introduced a new Titanium Milanese Loop for both colors of the Ultra.

Apple Unveils AirPods 4 With Two Models Featuring Improved Fit, USB-C, and More

As expected, Apple introduced two AirPods 4 models on Monday, a base model at $129 to replace the AirPods 2 and a higher-end model with Active Noise Cancellation and a case that supports wireless charging and features a speaker for Find My capabilities.

Apple also revealed updated AirPods Max headphones at the event, but the only changes are new colors and a move from Lightning to USB-C for charging and connectivity. No other hardware updates are included.

iOS 18, macOS Sequoia, watchOS 11 and More Launching on September 16

With all of Apple's new hardware set to become available on Friday, September 20, the company is sticking to tradition and releasing its major new operating system versions a few days earlier.

iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia, watchOS 11, and more will all be available on Monday, September 16. It's important to note, however, that Apple Intelligence features will not be coming in this round of updates and will instead start rolling out in follow-on updates likely targeted for late October.

MacRumors Newsletter

Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.

So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!

Article Link: Top Stories: Apple Event Recap With iPhone 16 and 16 Pro, Apple Watch Series 10, AirPods 4, and More

 

[spcopsmac21]

Cool colors, but it’s a snooze fest. How many times can Apple do the same thing and expect Apple to continue to pay for it?

Verizon is offering massive trade in values towards the new iPhones.

They will allow me to trade in my two year old 14PM towards a 2TB 16PM and it will only cost me $13 a month for the phone after upgrade.

$3. Month for a 512 16Plus.

I’ve Never seen discounts this deep with Verizon for an iPhone.

 

[AppleWorld787]

It was a pretty disappointing event 😩😣

 

[The.Outsider]

Nothing felt right about the introduction to the iPhone 16 Pro... the lack of detail and most of all, the lack of features on launch day makes me truly think twice about buying it. I had my finger ready to press the preorder button, but now I'm thinking, I've never seen Apple act this way during an expo and act this way for a launch of an iPhone with this many features not ready on launch day. I used to work for Apple, we had ONE situation like this with Siri, but... that was it... and instead of launching the phone without it, it was pushed to October. But this... the entire gimmick at this point was to promote the power to boost AI which you'll only get in December... and the rest of the world... sometime next year... EU? Who knows... So again we're back to "OOOH LOOK AT THE CAMERA"... okay nice but now more features use AI and it's not ready for launch day? I wish I didn't have to buy a new iphone and could wait to the 17 but then, that's what I said when 13 came out, and kept saying it till we reached 16...

My best functioning iPhone that to this day despite it not being supported anymore, was the iPhone 8. Which iPhone do you feel was the most solid, problem free iphone you've ever owned?

Long story short, my history working for Apple, seeing them this way, truly makes me wonder what is going on behind closed doors, sadly I know some of it... but not all of it, so I'll just say... I wish the iPhone 16 gave me that "OH WOW" feel... it didn't... not this time. But I have an iphone 12... it's become useless... so I will update to the 16 either way. Just wish it was under better circumstances and better promotion.

 

[ThomasJL]

[sarcasm]
I am so happy that Tim Cook released products which will benefit shareholders more than customers. It's much more important to maximize profits to make rich shareholders even richer than to maximize products' user-friendliness for customers like me.
[/sarcasm]

 

[Freddy Fruitfly]

But I have an iphone 12... it's become useless...

In what way has it become useless (I’m asking because I’m still using an SE 2020 and wouldn’t mind upgrading to an iPhone 12 now that prices are coming down)?

 

[morningsong]

In what way has it become useless (I’m asking because I’m still using an SE 2020 and wouldn’t mind upgrading to an iPhone 12 now that prices are coming down)?

Good question, I have an XR & an iPhone 12 (work).. Still love my XR, but it runs super hot at times, I feel like apple has a poison pill in one of the updates to do that...but my 12 is perfectly fine. Wondering what issues that poister is having.

 

[vmistery]

Well an S10 Watch is coming my way for sure to replace the S5, going to hold off on the iPhone as it sounds like the ram will get bumped next year on the pro.

 

[PerfectChaos]

Well an S10 Watch is coming my way for sure to replace the S5, going to hold off on the iPhone as it sounds like the ram will get bumped next year on the pro.

The 10 looks nice but I’m going to hold onto my 5 for a while yet. Battery is down to 74% health but it still works pretty well.

 

[Sasparilla]

The 10 looks nice but I’m going to hold onto my 5 for a while yet. Battery is down to 74% health but it still works pretty well.

Have to say the durability on the watch batteries is amazing, compared to the phones (have 85% on a series 6). I had read previously they use a different chemistry in the watch batts to be more durable (since the watches basically cycle daily).

Am ready to upgrade and I'll probably go with the 10, but have to say if Apple had kept the thickness and given me more battery life instead of a slightly thinner watch I'd have pre-ordered. Will wait for reviews / comparisons to the 9 on battery life (a discounted 9 in a few weeks wouldn't be the worst thing in the world either).

 

[markgpearse]

I found the whole thing rather disappointing. I will hang onto my iPhone 15 Pro for at least one more cycle. I did buy the Apple Watch 10 … it’s time to retire my Apple Watch 6. They gave me $85 for a trade-in. I also bought the new AirPods 4 just to get rid of my last device.

But in all honesty, what new hardware tech would people like to see? I wonder if we’re starting to see a general plateauing in hardware technology.

 

[Tevosn]

I think a bigger top story is FDA approves Apple AirPods Pro 2 to be used as hearing aids.

 

[@Brett]

Cool colors, but it’s a snooze fest. How many times can Apple do the same thing and expect Apple to continue to pay for it?

Verizon is offering massive trade in values towards the new iPhones.

They will allow me to trade in my two year old 14PM towards a 2TB 16PM and it will only cost me $13 a month for the phone after upgrade.

$3. Month for a 512 16Plus.

I’ve Never seen discounts this deep with Verizon for an iPhone.

I think it is every phone manufacturer. Androids tend to get discounts after launch. And give a tonne of free stuff away. Telstra in Australia was given around $30 a month of the Pixel Pro XL. But that phone did not crash the website like the new iPhones did. But to go back to it. Cost of living is having a massive effect on purchasing.

 

[spcopsmac21]

I think it is every phone manufacturer. Androids tend to get discounts after launch. And give a tonne of free stuff away. Telstra in Australia was given around $30 a month of the Pixel Pro XL. But that phone did not crash the website like the new iPhones did. But to go back to it. Cost of living is having a massive effect on purchasing.

The iPhone lineup this year so far has the weakest reception of any iPhone so far.

And it certainly didn’t crash any websites here in the states.

Yes androids usually have steep discounted on trade-ins.
But not iPhones, not here in the states.

 

[dan110]

This has been one of the most disappointing Apple launches I've seen in years. Apple has definitely rested on their laurels in regards to creativity and new products. Not to mention Tim's reliance on Chinese manufacturing is evident in the inability to innovate on current products. No wonder Warren has sold a significant stake in his Apple holdings.

 

[dan110]

Nothing felt right about the introduction to the iPhone 16 Pro... the lack of detail and most of all, the lack of features on launch day makes me truly think twice about buying it. I had my finger ready to press the preorder button, but now I'm thinking, I've never seen Apple act this way during an expo and act this way for a launch of an iPhone with this many features not ready on launch day. I used to work for Apple, we had ONE situation like this with Siri, but... that was it... and instead of launching the phone without it, it was pushed to October. But this... the entire gimmick at this point was to promote the power to boost AI which you'll only get in December... and the rest of the world... sometime next year... EU? Who knows... So again we're back to "OOOH LOOK AT THE CAMERA"... okay nice but now more features use AI and it's not ready for launch day? I wish I didn't have to buy a new iphone and could wait to the 17 but then, that's what I said when 13 came out, and kept saying it till we reached 16...

My best functioning iPhone that to this day despite it not being supported anymore, was the iPhone 8. Which iPhone do you feel was the most solid, problem free iphone you've ever owned?

Long story short, my history working for Apple, seeing them this way, truly makes me wonder what is going on behind closed doors, sadly I know some of it... but not all of it, so I'll just say... I wish the iPhone 16 gave me that "OH WOW" feel... it didn't... not this time. But I have an iphone 12... it's become useless... so I will update to the 16 either way. Just wish it was under better circumstances and better promotion.

The market has changed. Consumer technology has matured. How many e-devices does one actually need in their life? After you determine that, find out at what cost are said consumers willing to pay for the hardware, software, and associated media? In a weakening dollar, disinterested Asian market, and overall poor global economy, there's simply not enough demand to support historical growth numbers.

Apple needs to do the following:

1. Retire Tim Cook. He's done a wonderful job but the world has changed. His skills in the supply chain won't get Apple through the current era. Make him chairman of the board and promote from within for the new CEO.

2. Stop releasing iPhones every da*n year! It's unnecessary on so many levels. Release them every other year and use the off years to focus on software improvements and new features. This sets Apple up to be competitive in the growing AI world that we'll be living in. The iPhone is simply a portal to what's most important - the software. AI will only make software more important. Focus on that!

3. Cut back on so many different variations of the same products. It's confusing between the base devices, "Max" devices, and the alleged "Pro" devices. Look at the Beats vs Apple EarPods devices. The product lineup is confusing and incoherent. Do you really need that many different kinds of listening devices?

4. Get back to having fun. Bring back the iPod. Have the device just focus on buying AND to a lesser extent streaming one's own music library without the ads, the distractions, etc. That's it. Just music. Part of collecting music was the art, the history, the concerts, the community. Streaming services have sterilized music consumption and everything associated it. Imagine disconnecting and just being able to listen to music and podcasts. No books, no movies, no phone calls, no games. Just music and the spoken word.

5. Get back to the hacker space. Make a modular computer for artists, developers, and newbies. Work more closely with software development heavy hitters so that the next generation of creators choose Apple and build for Apple. Xcode needs to be more user friendly instead of developers using VSCode.

6. Cut deals with movie and tv production companies. Niche tv/movie media only viewable on Apple TV isn't cutting it. Work with Plex. Open up the Apple TV for passionate tv watchers.

7. Buy Disney or Paramount! Clean house. Stop the woke agenda. Make great media and products.

8. Cut prices. I remember Steve was very keen on setting the right price for Apple products. You never really felt like they were robbing you like you feel nowadays when you go to buy an Apple product.

 

[spcopsmac21]

The market has changed. Consumer technology has matured. How many e-devices does one actually need in their life? After you determine that, find out at what cost are said consumers willing to pay for the hardware, software, and associated media? In a weakening dollar, disinterested Asian market, and overall poor global economy, there's simply not enough demand to support historical growth numbers.

Apple needs to do the following:

1. Retire Tim Cook. He's done a wonderful job but the world has changed. His skills in the supply chain won't get Apple through the current era. Make him chairman of the board and promote from within for the new CEO.

2. Stop releasing iPhones every da*n year! It's unnecessary on so many levels. Release them every other year and use the off years to focus on software improvements and new features. This sets Apple up to be competitive in the growing AI world that we'll be living in. The iPhone is simply a portal to what's most important - the software. AI will only make software more important. Focus on that!

3. Cut back on so many different variations of the same products. It's confusing between the base devices, "Max" devices, and the alleged "Pro" devices. Look at the Beats vs Apple EarPods devices. The product lineup is confusing and incoherent. Do you really need that many different kinds of listening devices?

4. Get back to having fun. Bring back the iPod. Have the device just focus on buying AND to a lesser extent streaming one's own music library without the ads, the distractions, etc. That's it. Just music. Part of collecting music was the art, the history, the concerts, the community. Streaming services have sterilized music consumption and everything associated it. Imagine disconnecting and just being able to listen to music and podcasts. No books, no movies, no phone calls, no games. Just music and the spoken word.

5. Get back to the hacker space. Make a modular computer for artists, developers, and newbies. Work more closely with software development heavy hitters so that the next generation of creators choose Apple and build for Apple. Xcode needs to be more user friendly instead of developers using VSCode.

6. Cut deals with movie and tv production companies. Niche tv/movie media only viewable on Apple TV isn't cutting it. Work with Plex. Open up the Apple TV for passionate tv watchers.

7. Buy Disney or Paramount! Clean house. Stop the woke agenda. Make great media and products.

8. Cut prices. I remember Steve was very keen on setting the right price for Apple products. You never really felt like they were robbing you like you feel now when buy Apple products.

I agree with much of what you said. But the idea that the technology has matured is the biggest bull of bologna one couldn’t possibly regurgitate.

Nearly every Android device manufacturers is innovating while Apple keeps refining the square.

They are introducing new screen technologies, merging mobile and non mobile experiences, finding new ways to capture media, new ways to deliver sound and visual fidelity with their camera sensors.

Why can a $300 android phone hook up to a monitor and be used almost exactly as a laptop or desktop device, yet Apple goes out of its way to make sure you will hate what it offers so you’re forced into a more expensive product bracket.

Apple isn’t innovating anymore in a way that is visually evident.
They are complacent, and so far this is the weakest pre-order cycle of any iPhone ever.
They centered this entire product lineup around Apple intelligence, yet it’s not where to be seen.
When their direct competitors have had exactly what Apple is trying to offer for over a year.
Then Apple has the balls to say they are the first to offer these features.


People are tired of Apple copying android and repackaging it for sale at a higher price point. The consumer market has spoken, investors have spoken, the stock market has spoken.

Time Cooke needs to retire.
Apple needs to get back into the business of taking risks more.
Yes they took a risk with the Vision Pro.
But there hasn’t been a new app developer sign on in months.
There isn’t any money there. And Apple it’s taking a massive bet on it.

Facebook and Valve have tired time and time again in that segment. And affordability is king.
Pricing out 99.9999% of consumers and then building a massive ecosystem around it might not have been a great idea.
They make incredibly beautiful durable expertly engineered pieces of technology.
But so does Samsung, so does google. These devices are on par or starting to exceed apples offerings. And the funny part is the screens, memory, batteries, sensors are all made by Sony or Samsung. And are offered in cheaper devices. The exact screens and sensors are available in devices half the price, they just lack apples software.

Apple doesn’t innovate anymore. It’s refines. And well when we’re on the 4th version of the same phone, visually, and functionally the same, it’s time to gaze over the wall. See what else exists.

Everyone around them continues to push the needle.
If they weren’t Apple wouldn’t spend years copying ideas to refine and push out the door as original ideas.

 

[The.Outsider]

The market has changed. Consumer technology has matured. How many e-devices does one actually need in their life? After you determine that, find out at what cost are said consumers willing to pay for the hardware, software, and associated media? In a weakening dollar, disinterested Asian market, and overall poor global economy, there's simply not enough demand to support historical growth numbers.

Apple needs to do the following:

1. Retire Tim Cook. He's done a wonderful job but the world has changed. His skills in the supply chain won't get Apple through the current era. Make him chairman of the board and promote from within for the new CEO.

2. Stop releasing iPhones every da*n year! It's unnecessary on so many levels. Release them every other year and use the off years to focus on software improvements and new features. This sets Apple up to be competitive in the growing AI world that we'll be living in. The iPhone is simply a portal to what's most important - the software. AI will only make software more important. Focus on that!

3. Cut back on so many different variations of the same products. It's confusing between the base devices, "Max" devices, and the alleged "Pro" devices. Look at the Beats vs Apple EarPods devices. The product lineup is confusing and incoherent. Do you really need that many different kinds of listening devices?

4. Get back to having fun. Bring back the iPod. Have the device just focus on buying AND to a lesser extent streaming one's own music library without the ads, the distractions, etc. That's it. Just music. Part of collecting music was the art, the history, the concerts, the community. Streaming services have sterilized music consumption and everything associated it. Imagine disconnecting and just being able to listen to music and podcasts. No books, no movies, no phone calls, no games. Just music and the spoken word.

5. Get back to the hacker space. Make a modular computer for artists, developers, and newbies. Work more closely with software development heavy hitters so that the next generation of creators choose Apple and build for Apple. Xcode needs to be more user friendly instead of developers using VSCode.

6. Cut deals with movie and tv production companies. Niche tv/movie media only viewable on Apple TV isn't cutting it. Work with Plex. Open up the Apple TV for passionate tv watchers.

7. Buy Disney or Paramount! Clean house. Stop the woke agenda. Make great media and products.

8. Cut prices. I remember Steve was very keen on setting the right price for Apple products. You never really felt like they were robbing you like you feel now when buy Apple products.

I agree with what you said, that and a few other important areas need major focus. As someone who's worked at the farm (HQ Apple, but for anyone who's worked there will know the reason we call it the farm So here's some extra things that needs to be addressed and focused on.

The DEI has to stop, the woke as well as it's become utter unbearable to work there... the people you are surrounded by are not creative, nor are they very skillful at what they do. Just take the last 10 years counting from today, not much has come out of Apple that was anything like the era back when the first iMac was introduced, or iPod. Innovation has died and so has design and functionality. The M series chips are still up for debate how they hold up in say 10 years from now, they are good but a great deal of the power is cleaver math. Don't get me wrong, M series processors are great, but the devices they are in, haven't changed that much...

Some parts that used to be one or two clicks are now three or four. Where things used to be 'Apple Original' even if it was 'borrowed', it had something so solid that even if it was simplistic it was still functioning amazingly. I have an iPod Shuffle i recently found in one of my many Apple boxes, haven't charged it for years... and the battery when turned on was still green. HOW? okay that's besides the point, still baffles me though.

So the other important focus that Apple needs to invest in, is to separate iOS and MacOS, Mac and iOS Devices... all of them should have dedicated teams to develop, explore new fascinating and innovative developments in both Software and Hardware. It is a Trillion Dollar company, surely they can afford investing more into these areas, technology, software etc. Instead of stupid Apple TV series.

Next is to bring back Pro Users, Aperture was an amazing App, Apple killed it far too early in the game. Final Cut Pro and if anyone remembers SHAKE. We need to bring back the Pro Users, be it Professional YouTubers, filmmakers, photographers or just artists... with such power as we see M series macs have, they could have used some amazing apps for that.

We also need Apple to be more involved, involved in their massive communities, offer programs like they used to, bring more focus on inspiring and not manipulating, shoving ideologies and agendas down our throats. Ways to bring people together regardless of the color of their skin, religion or sex. Instead it's been infested with DEI and Wokeness, and worse. I'm sure most people would run to Apple's defense right away, but they don't know how the atmosphere inside the rotten core of Apple has been for some years now. And if they are part of the farm, and disagree, then they may in fact be part of the problem and not the solution. I've seen too many good men and women of all kinds, pass through Apple, realizing just how horrible this cult truly is. The lie sold to us was quickly discovered but the prestige to work for Apple and what benefits you get, quickly turns into "Oh well I get paid, I guess I'll just be quiet..." Toxic environment and work spaces fester in too many places within Apple. But their PR division and legal is extremely powerful... you could kill a person inside of the farm and if you're valuable enough, no body will ever know outside of those who were witness.

It's not what people think, it's a very controlled environment with fewer and fewer skilled people working at Apple.

A well oiled company like Apple should never have had such an introduction to their new iPhone 16 pro (Bridge Model) like they did... yet, here we are...

My history with Apple is old, back when Steve Jobs was king... so I have seen the company change from within... I'm happy I'm out, but for anyone who's worked for them for so many years and deep inside, will know, it's not that easy to suddenly be outside after all the cultish behavior we've been part of.

I guess I had to vent... I don't much care if people get sensitive about this, if you've not been in my shoes, you simply wouldn't know... Apple has many sides and many faces... few are left that are good...

 

[The.Outsider]

I agree with much of what you said. But the idea that the technology has matured is the biggest bull of bologna one couldn’t possibly regurgitate.

Nearly every Android device manufacturers is innovating while Apple keeps refining the square.

They are introducing new screen technologies, merging mobile and non mobile experiences, finding new ways to capture media, new ways to deliver sound and visual fidelity with their camera sensors.

Why can a $300 android phone hook up to a monitor and be used almost exactly as a laptop or desktop device, yet Apple goes out of its way to make sure you will hate what it offers so you’re forced into a more expensive product bracket.

Apple isn’t innovating anymore in a way that is visually evident.
They are complacent, and so far this is the weakest pre-order cycle of any iPhone ever.
They centered this entire product lineup around Apple intelligence, yet it’s not where to be seen.
When their direct competitors have had exactly what Apple is trying to offer for over a year.
Then Apple has the balls to say they are the first to offer these features.


People are tired of Apple copying android and repackaging it for sale at a higher price point. The consumer market has spoken, investors have spoken, the stock market has spoken.

Time Cooke needs to retire.
Apple needs to get back into the business of taking risks more.
Yes they took a risk with the Vision Pro.
But there hasn’t been a new app developer sign on in months.
There isn’t any money there. And Apple it’s taking a massive bet on it.

Facebook and Valve have tired time and time again in that segment. And affordability is king.
Pricing out 99.9999% of consumers and then building a massive ecosystem around it might not have been a great idea.
They make incredibly beautiful durable expertly engineered pieces of technology.
But so does Samsung, so does google. These devices are on par or starting to exceed apples offerings. And the funny part is the screens, memory, batteries, sensors are all made by Sony or Samsung. And are offered in cheaper devices. The exact screens and sensors are available in devices half the price, they just lack apples software.

Apple doesn’t innovate anymore. It’s refines. And well when we’re on the 4th version of the same phone, visually, and functionally the same, it’s time to gaze over the wall. See what else exists.

Everyone around them continues to push the needle.
If they weren’t Apple wouldn’t spend years copying ideas to refine and push out the door as original ideas.

this too is very true... I wish I could elaborate more on how correct in some of the things you said happens to be. I honestly don't see the Future of Apple anymore... I used to, there were roadmaps internally and sometimes externally... now... we're just hoping the next releases won't be as buggy or flawed as the ones before.

 

[dan110]

I agree with much of what you said. But the idea that the technology has matured is the biggest bull of bologna one couldn’t possibly regurgitate.

Nearly every Android device manufacturers is innovating while Apple keeps refining the square.

They are introducing new screen technologies, merging mobile and non mobile experiences, finding new ways to capture media, new ways to deliver sound and visual fidelity with their camera sensors.

Why can a $300 android phone hook up to a monitor and be used almost exactly as a laptop or desktop device, yet Apple goes out of its way to make sure you will hate what it offers so you’re forced into a more expensive product bracket.

Apple isn’t innovating anymore in a way that is visually evident.
They are complacent, and so far this is the weakest pre-order cycle of any iPhone ever.
They centered this entire product lineup around Apple intelligence, yet it’s not where to be seen.
When their direct competitors have had exactly what Apple is trying to offer for over a year.
Then Apple has the balls to say they are the first to offer these features.


People are tired of Apple copying android and repackaging it for sale at a higher price point. The consumer market has spoken, investors have spoken, the stock market has spoken.

Time Cooke needs to retire.
Apple needs to get back into the business of taking risks more.
Yes they took a risk with the Vision Pro.
But there hasn’t been a new app developer sign on in months.
There isn’t any money there. And Apple it’s taking a massive bet on it.

Facebook and Valve have tired time and time again in that segment. And affordability is king.
Pricing out 99.9999% of consumers and then building a massive ecosystem around it might not have been a great idea.
They make incredibly beautiful durable expertly engineered pieces of technology.
But so does Samsung, so does google. These devices are on par or starting to exceed apples offerings. And the funny part is the screens, memory, batteries, sensors are all made by Sony or Samsung. And are offered in cheaper devices. The exact screens and sensors are available in devices half the price, they just lack apples software.

Apple doesn’t innovate anymore. It’s refines. And well when we’re on the 4th version of the same phone, visually, and functionally the same, it’s time to gaze over the wall. See what else exists.

Everyone around them continues to push the needle.
If they weren’t Apple wouldn’t spend years copying ideas to refine and push out the door as original ideas.

The only part I don't agree with you on is, "I agree with much of what you said. But the idea that the technology has matured is the biggest bull of bologna one couldn’t possibly regurgitate."

The smartphone market is contracting and even if that wasn't the case, how much more can you do with a smartphone that has real value? You have productivity features, automated home and car features, media consumption and production, phone and messaging, books and games, health and fitness, etc.

The only thing left is to do with the iPhone are incremental changes unless you do a serious redesign or add a different class of "iDevice" like a bi fold or trifold screen.

From what I recall even Tim Cook has alluded to this in his investor meetings that there's not much room left to expand on the iPhone concept. This is why they tried to dive into the automotive, media, and AR space. The era of the iPhone being a guaranteed hardware sales cash cow is coming to an end.

 

[The.Outsider]

The only part I don't agree with you on is, "I agree with much of what you said. But the idea that the technology has matured is the biggest bull of bologna one couldn’t possibly regurgitate."

The smartphone market is contracting and even if that wasn't the case, how much more can you do with a smartphone that has real value? You have productivity features, automated home and car features, media consumption and production, phone and messaging, books and games, health and fitness, etc.

The only thing left is to do with the iPhone are incremental changes unless you do a serious redesign or add a different class of "iDevice" like a bi fold or trifold screen.

From what I recall even Tim Cook has alluded to this in his investor meetings that there's not much room left to expand on the iPhone concept. This is why they tried to dive into the automotive, media, and AR space. The era of the iPhone being a guaranteed hardware sales cash cow is coming to an end.

I think I can say this, because I've not seen any prototype coming out of Apple for a few years now. But I can say that the idea of iPhone staying the iPhone forever was already discussed with Steve Jobs before his death. They had started towards his death to design the next best thing after the iPhone. In fact they had concepts from wearable phones to some that were so basic that the tech that would be used was still in its early stages but would be incredible if it ever got into our hands.

The tech I've seen in the meetings back in 18 were things I still don't understand why we don't have. I say that but I really do know why, I'd rather not mention it here. Let's say that the teams that used to get really creative longer has free range, no longer is allowed to produce them to show. Now there is a mission for an objective. If you look at Apple as a company, objectively, you can see the minute changes they made to their product lines in terms of look etc.

Back when Apple said "Let's shake things up a bit and introduce colorful Home Computers and make people want one in every home..." those days were the golden era of Apple. I miss it, I met the Woz and he was just the best, I learned a lot from him about Apple's origin and core values. I always wished he had stayed and been a moral compass to the company somehow. We'd have had an entirely different company today. Or at least that's what I dream about.

Long story short, part of me was left at Apple, and while I still keep in touch with some from the Farm, I don't recognize the place anymore, or their morals, values or goals...

What Apple had planned with tech in the 2020s never came to be, they were exciting and felt like a natural evolution to where we were meant to go. But in all honesty, even back in 18 where we were with Apple, was already in a form of delay given the lack of progress of anything we saw way back when... Sure the world changes, trends change etc. But looking at Android today, they take chances, much like what Apple did... now, the way Apple is, is starting to become a bit of an industry joke with their exaggerated claims and expos with no real substance... phones never really changing that much, no real wow factor anymore.

I guess I just miss the way Apple was. Back when I was there in the early days, everyone felt the energy and had a shared vision of where we were all going, opportunities and the excitement of it all.

Okay I'll stop here, I don't want this to become a confession booth.

 

[spcopsmac21]

The only part I don't agree with you on is, "I agree with much of what you said. But the idea that the technology has matured is the biggest bull of bologna one couldn’t possibly regurgitate."

The smartphone market is contracting and even if that wasn't the case, how much more can you do with a smartphone that has real value? You have productivity features, automated home and car features, media consumption and production, phone and messaging, books and games, health and fitness, etc.

The only thing left is to do with the iPhone are incremental changes unless you do a serious redesign or add a different class of "iDevice" like a bi fold or trifold screen.

From what I recall even Tim Cook has alluded to this in his investor meetings that there's not much room left to expand on the iPhone concept. This is why they tried to dive into the automotive, media, and AR space. The era of the iPhone being a guaranteed hardware sales cash cow is coming to an end.

There is a lot they could do.
But they don’t take risks anymore.

And when they do it’s so expansive 9/10 consumers can’t even afford it.
Apple seriously needs to start embracing the affordable device economy.

I think I can say this, because I've not seen any prototype coming out of Apple for a few years now. But I can say that the idea of iPhone staying the iPhone forever was already discussed with Steve Jobs before his death. They had started towards his death to design the next best thing after the iPhone. In fact they had concepts from wearable phones to some that were so basic that the tech that would be used was still in its early stages but would be incredible if it ever got into our hands.

The tech I've seen in the meetings back in 18 were things I still don't understand why we don't have. I say that but I really do know why, I'd rather not mention it here. Let's say that the teams that used to get really creative longer has free range, no longer is allowed to produce them to show. Now there is a mission for an objective. If you look at Apple as a company, objectively, you can see the minute changes they made to their product lines in terms of look etc.

Back when Apple said "Let's shake things up a bit and introduce colorful Home Computers and make people want one in every home..." those days were the golden era of Apple. I miss it, I met the Woz and he was just the best, I learned a lot from him about Apple's origin and core values. I always wished he had stayed and been a moral compass to the company somehow. We'd have had an entirely different company today. Or at least that's what I dream about.

Long story short, part of me was left at Apple, and while I still keep in touch with some from the Farm, I don't recognize the place anymore, or their morals, values or goals...

What Apple had planned with tech in the 2020s never came to be, they were exciting and felt like a natural evolution to where we were meant to go. But in all honesty, even back in 18 where we were with Apple, was already in a form of delay given the lack of progress of anything we saw way back when... Sure the world changes, trends change etc. But looking at Android today, they take chances, much like what Apple did... now, the way Apple is, is starting to become a bit of an industry joke with their exaggerated claims and expos with no real substance... phones never really changing that much, no real wow factor anymore.

I guess I just miss the way Apple was. Back when I was there in the early days, everyone felt the energy and had a shared vision of where we were all going, opportunities and the excitement of it all.

Okay I'll stop here, I don't want this to become a confession booth.

I still have my old Apple tech ID and badge strung up on my board at the desk in my workshop.
I remember when I was working with Apple when the transition to the thin retina MacbooK Pros happened.

There was so much you could do with the older modular design. Working on those devices was a breeze, so simple and so straight forward.

But then the retina 15” hit.
I sat around a table with my old colleagues staring at this engineering sample.
….The ram is soldered ON TO THE BOARD?”

We all just shook our heads….
We knew that a significant point of failure had just become a significant disaster waiting to happen.

At that point Ram was the leading point of failure for the pre Retina MacBook/Pro lineup. And it was such an easy fix. But having the memory soldered to the board ment the turnover rate and repair rate for these devices would sky rocket.
And it did. And when we would push the concerns up the chain we never got even the simplest of excuses or replies to our concerns.
The best explanation I was given was basically this, and I’m paraphrasing.
“ The new cost of the retina lineup will offset any technical defects or turnover for repairs “
They incorporated the failure rate of the new onboard ram INTO THE PRICE OF THE DEVICE.
While they ended up being reasonably reliable devices, the statement still stuck with me.
….They designed it to fail just enough their turnover and repair costs were glued right into the price of the machine ….
I remember engineering samples with removable M socket graphics cards. But NOPE costs $5 more to socket them than to solder them in.
Turns out, no it wasn’t. Then millions upon millions of logic boards were replaced under a recall….

When I first started work for Apple something like this was unheard of. Just like you said, there was a sense of wonder.

And on my last day I felt that sense of wonder sucked right out of the ecosystem. Steve Jobs was gone, Jon Ivy was leaving…. The company felt like a stagnant money machine.

Apple seems to have continued down that path. And it’s terrible.
Investor first.
Consumer last.

 

[The.Outsider]

There is a lot they could do.
But they don’t take risks anymore.

And when they do it’s so expansive 9/10 consumers can’t even afford it.
Apple seriously needs to start embracing the affordable device economy.

I still have my old Apple tech ID and badge strung up on my board at the desk in my workshop.
I remember when I was working with Apple when the transition to the thin retina MacbooK Pros happened.

There was so much you could do with the older modular design. Working on those devices was a breeze, so simple and so straight forward.

But then the retina 15” hit.
I sat around a table with my old colleagues staring at this engineering sample.
….The ram is soldered ON TO THE BOARD?”

We all just shook our heads….
We knew that a significant point of failure had just become a significant disaster waiting to happen.

At that point Ram was the leading point of failure for the pre Retina MacBook/Pro lineup. And it was such an easy fix. But having the memory soldered to the board ment the turnover rate and repair rate for these devices would sky rocket.
And it did. And when we would push the concerns up the chain we never got even the simplest of excuses or replies to our concerns.
The best explanation I was given was basically this, and I’m paraphrasing.
“ The new cost of the retina lineup will offset any technical defects or turnover for repairs “
They incorporated the failure rate of the new onboard ram INTO THE PRICE OF THE DEVICE.
While they ended up being reasonably reliable devices, the statement still stuck with me.
….They designed it to fail just enough their turnover and repair costs were glued right into the price of the machine ….
I remember engineering samples with removable M socket graphics cards. But NOPE costs $5 more to socket them than to solder them in.
Turns out, no it wasn’t. Then millions upon millions of logic boards were replaced under a recall….

When I first started work for Apple something like this was unheard of. Just like you said, there was a sense of wonder.

And on my last day I felt that sense of wonder sucked right out of the ecosystem. Steve Jobs was gone, Jon Ivy was leaving…. The company felt like a stagnant money machine.

Apple seems to have continued down that path. And it’s terrible.
Investor first.
Consumer last.

It's actually very good reading your words, as you know, once you leave the farm, you rarely get to keep in touch with those who left it and still talk about the details. We all knew we were part of the cult, more so during Job's presence but at least back then, we saw things move, evolve, develop and yes we were often pushed to our limits but we became so much better at what we did and a sense of accomplishment was our reward. I guess that was the cult but still, we were more optimistic and excited. Much of what you wrote I felt to the bone, it is absolutely how it was, the echo of Jobs died a while ago, Tim Cook was never a good leader. I never understood why he was picked until I discovered what he meant to Steve Jobs. Problem with Apple was also the extreme compartmentalization of each camp, so we ended up looking down or looking up at teams, camps, people etc. I am not sure we should continue talking too much about the internals here, also because of it going off topic and the accidental slip up revealing our positions. I can't afford Apple coming after me and I know they would if I revealed some of the dirty laundry they still carry with them. I also don't know exactly how much you know of those secrets so I must be a little more cautious however good it feels to semi confess.

Thank you for sharing, it was good to read... I too kept my ID badge and other little things that I wore which used to mean something.

 

[spcopsmac21]

It's actually very good reading your words, as you know, once you leave the farm, you rarely get to keep in touch with those who left it and still talk about the details. We all knew we were part of the cult, more so during Job's presence but at least back then, we saw things move, evolve, develop and yes we were often pushed to our limits but we became so much better at what we did and a sense of accomplishment was our reward. I guess that was the cult but still, we were more optimistic and excited. Much of what you wrote I felt to the bone, it is absolutely how it was, the echo of Jobs died a while ago, Tim Cook was never a good leader. I never understood why he was picked until I discovered what he meant to Steve Jobs. Problem with Apple was also the extreme compartmentalization of each camp, so we ended up looking down or looking up at teams, camps, people etc. I am not sure we should continue talking too much about the internals here, also because of it going off topic and the accidental slip up revealing our positions. I can't afford Apple coming after me and I know they would if I revealed some of the dirty laundry they still carry with them. I also don't know exactly how much you know of those secrets so I must be a little more cautious however good it feels to semi confess.

Thank you for sharing, it was good to read... I too kept my ID badge and other little things that I wore which used to mean something.

It’s a different company now. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great company.
I just think they have lost the unique quirks that made them Apple.
I don’t really know many secret. Or any that would have an ounce of importance now.
But one thing stuck with me my supervisor would look at me funny every time I pointed something out from a physical engineering standpoint that just didn’t make sense.

He would pull me aside and say something along the lines of “ I know it doesn’t make sense, but they want it that way.”
I paraphrase, but you get what I’m saying.