This week’s big news was the Apple hardware event. Here’s my unsolicited thoughts on the main questions people have been asking.
Does anyone still care?
Well, yes, we’re all still talking about it. However, the tone of these conversations gets more sour each year. The price goes up but the phone stays the same. 10 years ago, my colleagues and I would crowd around screens to watch the event live and then line up early in the morning for the new device. That annual excitement seems long gone.
What’s new in the iPhone?
Almost nothing. Even for Apple this seems like a muted upgrade cycle. The always-on display may yield some key innovation in future but I haven’t found anyone who was impressed. I saw this event as handing over the innovation baton to the Watch and the Ultra version does seem like a genuine leap forward for smartwatches.
Isn’t Apple a Software company now?
That’s certainly been the trend in earnings and commentary over recent years, but while consumers may not see changes they’re certainly happening. Apple is at the forefront of processor technology and the “Ultra” watch shows they can still bring that caliber of innovation to the consumer level, just not on the iPhone.
All that said, I upgraded my iPhone today.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
