While there are several areas where Apple maintained consistent excellence in 2024, I can't think of a single area where Apple levelled up. Not one. That feels like a problem.
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No doubt Apple considers its AI an upgrade even if the some of us consider AI a high-tech plagiarism machine at best.
And they cancelled their electric car project in '24 too, so maybe that's a good thing?
Tim Cook isn't a visionary and never has been. He's a 'manager' not an innovator. Apple is now great at maintaining the status quo, but hasn't had a true breakthrough product since Jobs died, and find themselves imitating Samsung rather than competing. Just my 2 cents.
You didn’t mention that the Watch continues to be sold in the US without the blood oxygen sensing. Another way Apple managed to make / allow a product to backslide. Also Home has added support for more Matter devices, likely hindered by standards body.
Could we get a plus in security the lack of apples intrest to serve my paid buissness so my 2tb icloud storage and cell phone records i have no feelings of security in a minus in apples conflict of intrest to serve dirty cops over clients so we can get that ++++++
I honestly don't get the corporate mindset of "ever-growing" business & revenue. It reminds me of cancer - thing no longer serving it's original (or any useful) purpose, just taking up more and more space and resources...
It’s a known problem Cook’s lack of direction and refusal to push in a direction harms products. They’re making money on services for now but they’re starting to look like RIM or Nokia.
If there was ever a time to open the company war chest, this feels like it. And I don’t think they’re as far behind as it feels… accuracy is something the industry is dealing with everywhere. But Apple Intelligence should approach near iPhone levels of attention. It probably doesn’t feel good…
… because as a product it’s not really “making” money as it is “preventing loss of money,” at least in infancy. Maybe 18.4 will be the jump-off, but it’s baffling that the company that bought Siri in the first hasn’t considered AI is THE next big platform. Missing that once killed Nokia and RIM.
I’m no techie by ANY means, but I’m confused at the complete lack of mentions re: Apple secretly working with SpaceX and TMobile and the 18.3 update. They’re getting a big ol’ “F” from me on privacy concerns.
Enjoy the perspective as ever. iOS 18 is not however, refined. Photos app is a mess and Apple intelligence is pants. Fair that you already called this out, but a miss in not downgrading iOS (& iPhone by association) at the same time.
Like I wrote in my report card, sure, Apple Intelligence is mostly a dud so far, but the best thing about it is its design, the way it’s integrated throughout the system. By which I mean it’s there if you want to use/try it, but, crucially, it is not in your face and is easily ignored if you don’t.
That’s fair and reflective of my own experience. I mostly ignore it… I also agree with you (i think said something to the effect on Dithering) that on MacOS, it’s writing related features are its best/ most obvious application right now, even if I don’t extensively rely on those either.
I’ve been writing a lot in recent weeks (months?) but still haven’t written about iOS 18 Photos. My short take is that I don’t get the complaints. Not saying I love the new version but I don’t hate it either, and it’s an app I rely upon.
On photos app, I find it impossibly difficult to navigate, the search function is my only solace. I would say that same about the OS at large, finding any settings. Search has been useful, at times in previous versions a delight, but today in 18 a total necessity. For me at least.
Apple has leveled down. Bending a knee to Trump & Putin is inconsistent with the creative ethos that attracted loyal Apple customers. I was planning to buy new devices this year but will hold off. I am hesitant to continue with Apple as it no longer supports democracy and social justice.
Bit surprised that Vision Pro still got a B for 2024 with the reasons boiling down to it having a great single use case with a potential promising future. 2024 is not the future. I see more reasons to draw a parallel with iPad (got a C): continuously unrealized potential. And not in the 80’s either…
I would say a B because it felt (to me) like a revolutionary, but obviously correct approach for the future. High cost & performance aren't hard problems to crack given time. Vision Pro in its current form: I would never replace any of my current screens for it. That is a fundamental problem.
Is it only me or the others, I am switching away from apple made software year by year. Maps : I always use north on top, no development on this at at Apple maps, use gmaps. So Google sneaks in. Email software turned to outlook, safari replaced by edge, photos I do not look photos anymore. ++
++ I upload photos to one drive and searchitems from there. Canceled apple music. Only use simplest iCloud subscription. Keyboard is Microsoft swipe now, bc I can use numbers above letters. I cannot connect iphone to monitor, with mouse and keyboard effectively, Samsung Dex is amazing. ++
++As an engineer I know that all these are easy stuff to fix, each day settings menu gets complicated, I got to use internet or chatgpt for my iPhone settings. Too many nested hidden settings. It seems #SteveJobs soul is also dead at #Apple. Steve was man of simplicity, #Samsung and Apple same+++
+++experience. Last year bought samsung for my wife, at travels I have a small cheap portable monitor with keyboard, i use samsung dex for changing documents, writing emails, bc iphone doesnot work best on external screens. using iPhone 13 pro max and just waiting, not decided to buy iPhone or other
apple maps far surpasses google now in terms of features and accuracy. speed check alerts are incredibly accurate, easy to use, and super helpful. icloud is way more efficient and versatile than drive. safari is way more secure now, and apple intelligence allows quick summary of long articles.
I found this discussion of using a Vision Pro for photo editing to be pretty interesting. Perhaps a niche case, but seems to be a really excellent solution for the photographer.
Part of VisionOS's tepid interest among developers is adoption but it's made worse by the fact that the immersive experiences that AVP is built for are insanely difficult to build with current tools. RealityKit and RCP have miles to go to catch up to modern game engines
What made the iPhone the iPhone (and Mac the Mac) is that Apple provided tools and frameworks to help, as best they could, allow anyone — just one person even, a bright teenager, say — to create world-class software.
I really hope Apple addresses that gap in tool and frameworks. That’s what kept NeXT alive long enough for Apple to buy them. That’s what made Mac OS X the savior of the platform keeping Apple alive. And that’s what made the early iPhone the world-conquering platform it became.
iPad Pro frustrates me. A handful of companies that aren't Apple (e.g. Procreate) have made it a compelling creative device, but otherwise, it must remain a not-iPhone-not-Mac that could do more but simply cannot.
Great overview of their current state - I also feel like it's a problem that they haven't really advanced anywhere but it kinda seems like the only risks incurred by that are
a) loss of iphone marketshare
b) something crazy due to AI hype bearing true fruit
So no, I do not think Apple is lying, at all, not even stretching or spinning the truth, when it comes to privacy. But does that mean all third-party apps honor your intentions? Apple can’t say. At some level you have to trust the apps you use with the data you provide them with.
There are some aspects to the things in Apple’s Privacy Report Cards that are on the honor policy, but many aspects are locked by system-level APIs. An app can’t cheat and look at your location, or your photos, or your contacts, without prompting you via the system for permission.
They get people to buy accessories. That's where the real return is that keeps the stock pumping, as they try to grow the international market (after losing China), which Samsung has, and streaming, before feeling the need to present innovation for tried and true Americans.
On point. I finally get it, Apple really isn’t different anymore, they just think they are. Maybe we aren’t the product, as with other companies, but we are no longer their priority.
I phones are designed to fail...screens not responsive etc..this drives new sales of iPhones....I thought U knew....its what is known as a "business plan"
Planned obsolescence has been around for decades. Every appliance. Every gadget. Every product. They CAN make them
last longer. But that hurts the bottom line.
> That enthusiasm was tempered greatly last year for VisionOS
I think that enthusiasm was tempered after Apple Watch. I don't use a single 3rd party app on my Apple Watch because I can't find any and there is no incentives to develop one for me as a developer.
I don’t use many but there are a few I use. I use Komoot for cycling, Overcast for podcasts and also my car’s app to unlock, and also start the preconditioning. So while I don’t use many, the ones I do use are pretty invaluable to me.
I use AutoSleep to correct the massive oversight where Apple's sleeptracking expects you to tell it you are going to bed. Also their OS patching only automatically happening at night tells you they really dont care about sleep tracking.
I don’t even use many built-in apps on Apple Watch. I don’t love Apple Watch; it just isn’t meant for me, squarely. But I just don’t think it’s a platform where there’s room for “apps” that people will really use. VisionOS is.
Mostly true, but I think you’re too generous on Apple Apps
I don’t think there’s a single professional category where the common wisdom is that if you’re not using Apple software, you’re leaving either money or quality on the table
Their apps are… fine. But there’s no ambition to be the best
I completely disagree. I’ve long thought personally, and have now followed several people advising the same thing, that a small team can and should run almost entirely using iMessage and Apple Notes. Safari is the best browser in the world as a user. Apple Mail is a good email app.
Messages still cannot reliably sync messages (and deletions) and their states between MacOS and iOS. Despite them spending several *years* rewriting Messages in Catalyst to enable such advanced features as *checks notes* message editing.
Apple Notes is ... fine (I use it myself all the time)
I guess I was more thinking of their professional and creative apps. You’d never hear a suggestion that someone using Resolve is missing out on professional opportunities compared to someone using Final Cut.
But even for the others, I don’t think anyone would suggest that a professional using Chrome or Firefox is at a professional disadvantage compared to a competitor using Safari
Apple apps are great, but they’re not category defining. Certainly no one feels any pressure to chase them
I sell these devices currently. I own a 14 pro max. The phone hasn’t had any positive trends in design or software since. That being said, neither has Samsung. Google is making some progress, but not much. Smartphones peaked years ago.
iPad gets a C!? The iPad Pro M4 is so far ahead of not only itself but literally all other tablets and most PC lappys. Arguably one of the most impressive hardware showings for the company in a while and you give it a C
Are you supposed to be some sort of authority? lol
The rating is comparing Apple 2024's improvements and innovations compared against Apple 2023.
Nearly all of Apple's 2024 releases were iterative updates - certainly improvements, but they released almost nothing new or groundbreaking, like the M1 and M2 were.
Apple design feels smug and dull. They are super rich/successful so they don't have to do anything daring. The sharp edges on the Mac mini are dated. The seam on the iPad keyboard feels cheap. The phones have a disco aesthetic and are mocking buyers with their recycled flourishes.
While not taking a side in this debate, I feel the answer to your question is currently DJI and Bambu Labs (founded by former DJI execs). Together, I feel they’ve established a China-based design school that’s gone unrecognized.
This is a fantastic question. All of tech is playing it safe right now. So this may sound odd but I think the Korean car makers are being bold. I'm not sure if they've hit home runs or grand slams but they do try wild things.
category they service is a mature market at this point. Massive y-o-y changes would be much more alarming, as it would indicate a lack of confidence in their work.
The vast majority of the user base sees these changes over 3-7 year windows. Many of the people I see here are running 2015 Macs.
The M4 chip is better than an update, but 2024 feels like a “calm before the storm” year, especially with the rumored iPhone Air coming up along with an M4 Air.
Annual grades for a tech company feels a bit like looking at the scale every day when you’re trying to lose weight. Every product 1/2
Didn't see anyone else point this out, so I just have to; the Unity Rhythm watch face launched late January does indeed have seconds tick in energy savings mode.
Honestly, I think the iPad and the watch were pretty innovative in their own ways. And even Vision Pro feels innovative. I wouldn’t buy one, but it seems quite innovative. AirPods were also innovative at the time. First earbuds I could actually use. So maybe not much earth shattering but still.
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And they cancelled their electric car project in '24 too, so maybe that's a good thing?
(B) of its true I’m quite certain it will be done with the utmost privacy
https://youtu.be/byYZUCAnqng
They should do that for Vision.
a) loss of iphone marketshare
b) something crazy due to AI hype bearing true fruit
But I’m expecting to hear they’re lying. Are they?
Isn’t it voluntary and up to the app developers to choose to follow users’ requests not to track, e.g.?
Apple doesn't improve anymore. It iterates.
last longer. But that hurts the bottom line.
I think that enthusiasm was tempered after Apple Watch. I don't use a single 3rd party app on my Apple Watch because I can't find any and there is no incentives to develop one for me as a developer.
How many 3rd party apps do you use?
I don’t think there’s a single professional category where the common wisdom is that if you’re not using Apple software, you’re leaving either money or quality on the table
Their apps are… fine. But there’s no ambition to be the best
Apple Notes is ... fine (I use it myself all the time)
Apple apps are great, but they’re not category defining. Certainly no one feels any pressure to chase them
Safari was definitely category defining before Chrome split.
Are you supposed to be some sort of authority? lol
Nearly all of Apple's 2024 releases were iterative updates - certainly improvements, but they released almost nothing new or groundbreaking, like the M1 and M2 were.
The vast majority of the user base sees these changes over 3-7 year windows. Many of the people I see here are running 2015 Macs.
Annual grades for a tech company feels a bit like looking at the scale every day when you’re trying to lose weight. Every product 1/2
I just wish they’d license Pandora & improve their generative playlists.
Apple Music can play... where?
Spotify being shot on all platforms isn’t the dunk you think it is.
There are 14 smart TV variants alone (I'm on the TV team).
And a myriad other things that Apple doesn't support or work well with (whether because they don't care or haven't gotten around to)