Where I grew up, we would often hear, “Don’t expect too much!” Not in any sort of disappointing Dickensian sense, I hasten to add. This is just a friendly warning that high expectations often lead to disappointment. We are a cynical bunch from the English Midlands.
But Apple’s senior executives come from brighter, more optimistic parts of the world. The company started 2024 with very high expectations, anticipating the imminent launch of two very important and long-awaited projects: Vision Pro and Apple Intelligence. This will be the year that all the sacrifices prove worth it.
But perhaps inevitably, great growth was followed by great disappointment. Vision Pro was released in February to strong critical response. But sales could never live up to those high expectations. Tim Cook himself has admitted that this is not a mass market product. “It’s an early adopter product right now,” he told WSJ.
Both price and weight need to be lowered, but the problem is not that the product has a lot of potential. The problem is that society is not yet ready to transition from smartphones to the next generation. The Vision Pro project is important as Apple prepares for the next phase of consumer technology. But you can’t force your customers to move on from what they did before. they Ready.
To say it’s not ready yet, Apple Intelligence was another one of the sloppy squibs of 2024. This is partly because many features were not available as part of the initial release. Disappointingly, iOS 18.0 didn’t include any Apple Intelligence features, so we had to wait until 18.1 came out in late October. (You’ll notice that this was long after the release of the iPhone 16, which was marketed as being built for Apple Intelligence.) Many of the most interesting elements (Image Playground, Visual Intelligence, Genmoji, ChatGPT) never arrived. Until iOS 18.2 this month. If you live in the European Union or speak a language other than English, you cannot join until 2025.
Of course, building an AI platform from scratch takes time, and Apple is praised for releasing features once they’re complete rather than forcing unreliable software on users. But having the best marketing machine in the world means people tend to get their hopes up. Fans came to believe that Apple Intelligence would change their lives, and were understandably dissatisfied when it turned out to be disappointing and incomplete.
It’s a good thing, then, that Apple’s marketing system doesn’t apply the same hype to all products. Two of the company’s big successes in 2024 (comparatively speaking, this is Apple we’re talking about) were sleeper hits. A launch that we are at least somewhat unaware of, stepping out of the shadow of its pricier, more famous siblings to attract both positive reviews and strong consumer interest.
The fourth-generation AirPods, announced last September, performed exactly as expected. It looks and sounds great, and adopts key features of the Pro model without raising the price. We think they’re fantastic.
The new Mac mini is also something customers love, but it offers a combination of quality and value that Apple finds so boring. It offers great performance in a compact design and manageable price. The only problem is the way it makes Mac Studio look ridiculously expensive.
We know that Apple doesn’t like to release attractive, cheap products. Because Apple much prefers us to buy expensive products. But we’re reaching a stage in the consumer tech industry where a cheap product is good enough for 99% of users 99% of the time, and Apple needs to learn how to succeed in that world. The Vision Pro is a very nice, ridiculously expensive device that doesn’t really do anything. necessary. The way to impress today’s consumers is to find a way to meet their needs at a reasonable price. It’s all a matter of knowing how to make well-judged compromises.
But ultimately, the most important lesson is that you’re much more likely to have a good time if you remember not to get your hopes up.
casting
Welcome to the weekly Apple Breakfast column. Here’s a bite-sized compilation of all the Apple news you missed last week. I call it the Apple Breakfast because I think it goes well with a Monday morning cup of coffee or tea, but it’s also great if you want to read it at lunch or dinner time.
Trending: Top Stories
that macarope We chose the worst case scenario in 2024
got it new iphone During the holidays? Do these things first
how is it? new mac? Start here
Apple Watch needs a fresh start
Apple’s 2025 won’t be boring
Podcast of the week
The Macworld Podcast is taking a week off for the holidays.
You can watch all episodes of the Macworld Podcast on Spotify, Soundcloud, the Podcasts app, or on our own site.
review corner
ZimaCube Pro: Versatility and Speed NAS Monster
Mophie Powerstation Mini 5K Gold: Smart and stylish power bank
Harber London leather MacBook sleeve: elaborate travel
rumor mill
What Apple is pursuing smart home platform It could include a Face ID video doorbell.
iOS 19 is expected to support iPhones running on XR.
Software updates, bugs and issues
How do I find it? apple intelligence In iOS 18.2?
That concludes this week’s Apple Breakfast. If you would like to receive regular updates, sign up for our newsletter. Facebook, Threads, or twitter For discussion of breaking Apple news. See you next Monday. And please stay at Appley.
