Sometimes it feels like big tech companies have lost track of creating the things people really want.
Take Apple Intelligence, for example. Apple Intelligence could well prove to be a boon for Apple’s platforms. Sure, anything that improves Siri will be a welcome addition. Yet there’s plenty of evidence that no one wants that kind of thing.
For example, CNN reports that “Brands should avoid this popular term. It turns off customers.” That “term” isn’t the one I was thinking of, which was “mouthfeel.” It turns out it’s “AI.” If you don’t believe me, then maybe you’ll believe Taco Bell’s professor emeritus of hospitality business management at Washington State University:
“We looked at vacuum cleaners, televisions, consumer services, health care services,” Dogan Gursoy, one of the study’s authors and the Taco Bell Distinguished Professor of Hospitality Business Management at Washington State University, said in an interview with CNN.
And you thought I made that up.
“In all cases, the intention to purchase or use the product or service was significantly lower when we mentioned AI in the product description.”
Purchase intention surveys are often not a good indicator of what people end up buying, but it seems that few humans are clamoring for AI. In fact, many current technological innovations seem to be missing the mark.
Vision Pro’s moonshot so far has been more of a moonwalk, if you will. (Can you? I can somehow (I kind of do this based on the shoes I wear, but… sorry, that’s beside the point.) While it’s a remarkable feat of engineering, its price makes it an unlikely option for most people, and even for those who can afford it, integrating it into your life is a bit of a gamble right now. Some swear by it, others leave it largely in the box. The Vision Pro will certainly evolve, as Apple is still rumored to have plans for a cheaper version that will drive more adoption and, therefore, more experiences on the device. But that’s not the case yet.
Foundry
Apple’s project that never happened is the long-rumored Apple Car. After years of development and reorganization, the company finally canceled the project earlier this year.
Even the top-of-the-line iPhones don’t generate the same level of excitement they used to. That’s more of a natural evolution of the products, though. They’re still great phones, but every year the cameras get better, the widgets get fancier, and the Pro phones come in the dullest colors imaginable. (The rumored iPhone Air might bring some excitement back to the lineup, though.)
In my opinion, Apple’s real heroes aren’t the big, flashy devices that grab headlines. They’re the small ones. And, perhaps to Tim Cook’s chagrin, the cheap ones.
The Mac mini
Remember when the Mac mini was the go-to device for smugglers? I hate to break it to you, but that was almost 20 years ago. Now the Mac mini is available to everyone.
After its initial success, Apple almost forgot it ever made a Mac mini, neglecting to update it for four years in the mid-2010s (to be fair, Apple was neglecting most of the Mac lineup at the time). Now, the company seems poised to refresh the design of the little Mac that could do it, making it even smaller and, dare I say, the most powerful Mac mini ever. True story.
The current Mac mini starts at $599, which is $100 more than the original version Steve Jobs introduced in 2005, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see that price go up with a new, smaller, even cuter form factor. But it’ll still be the cheapest Mac you can buy, and it gets the job done.
The 10th generation iPad
The 10th-generation iPad starts at just $349, a price so low you’ll forget it’s from a company with a reputation for being “overpriced.” This is a remarkably good device for the price.
While other computer manufacturers offer cheap laptops in this price range, they are… how do I put this politely?… the worst kind of garbage. Plastic chassis with slow processors and full of junk software. Apple isn’t going to deliver something like that, so it’s offering a device that can handle email, browse the web, play some games, and let you watch your stories, all in the same easy-to-use way that your phone does. (Just try not to multitask.)
The iPhone SE
High-end iPhones are selling incredibly well today, considering the outrage that arose seven years ago over rumors that Apple would launch a thousand-dollar phone. Today, people spend $999 and up on an iPhone without even thinking about it.
But Apple also sells an iPhone that starts at less than half that price. Sure, the current SE is a bit old school, but an update is rumored to be coming in the spring and is even said to be capable of running Apple Intelligence (assuming anyone wants it). The iPhone SE lineup doesn’t get updated often enough for my tastes, but when it does, you can’t get a better value for your iPhone.
Willis Lai/IDG
AirPods
AirPods are in that category of products that are both great for users and great for Apple. Remember wearables? They were the big thing 10 years ago, when Apple was widely chastised for being late (if Apple got five cents for every time it was late on something, it would finally be a rich company). Between AirPods and the Watch, Apple is now the master of the wearables category, which is why no one talks about them anymore.
If I had to pick one device that transformed my personal computing experience over the past 10 years, it would probably be AirPods. They’re always in my pocket (I finally have a use for that little coin pocket on my jeans) and, sure, we sometimes disagree on which device I should listen to, but with a wireless audio experience like AirPods, who misses the headphone jack? (I know, I know. The Verge.)
Apple Watch
A flop. That’s what they called it. Before it even came out, and after. There’s probably still someone who calls it a flop, but now they’re everywhere. Starting at just $249, the Watch has become an incredible fitness and health device, as well as a great way for adults and kids to leave their smartphones at home.
(If this is starting to sound like an ad, remember that I started out talking about Apple products that I thought didn’t work. Plus, Tim Cook would probably prefer that you not buy Apple’s cheapest products.)
Sometimes it takes a big goal to make a splash (this may sound like a mix of metaphors, but they found water on the moon). So Apple can’t help but want to do big things. But sometimes it’s the little things that get you there.
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