Every time I visit the Apple I leave Underwhelmed

[Mr. Dee]

Don't get me wrong and I think maybe its a good thing. But, with each product launch over the past 3 to 4 years, I have been underwhelmed. And it shows in my current lineup:

• 2020 M1 MacBook Pro
• iPhone X
• Apple Watch Series 3
• 2017 iPad Pro 12.9
• Beats Solo

Take for instance, todays visit to check out the new iPads. The colors of the iPad 10th gen is about all that felt new, but the general user experience: web browsing, YouTube, listening to Apple Music, looking at photos, navigating iPadOS is no different from my 2017 iPad. Using the pencil is no different either, yeah, there is now a dot that lets you know where your target is on the new Pro models. I will admit, they are fluid, super fast and the iPad Pro with appropriate accessories such as the Magic Keyboard make it a 90% decent alternative to a MacBook Air. iPadOS 16 though gives a sense of 'ok, what's the big deal here?'

The features that differentiate it like Stage Manager are turned off on the demo units. But even when you turn that on, it feels disconnected. The lack of fit and finish for instance is so obvious. The Settings app shows a weird blocky mode and does not support the floating interface like apps themselves. The lack of free form of your apps makes the interface feels disjointed and tacked on. The OS does try its best to make working apps in sets of two look and work usable and you really have to make the accommodation for this. Apple probably should have just enabled showing the dock on screen always; it would have been a better option in my opinion.

So far, Stage Manager seems to make more sense on a MacBook with a large enough screen such as the 16 in MacBook Pro. I tried it on one of the Store iMacs and it felt awkward to use with a mouse. But I find it quite enjoyable on the 16 inch MacBook Pro. Grouping apps like Music/Photos, Safari/News, Word/Notes/Excel, Finder window/Settings made it fun to easily multi-task.

But going back to my original issue, which is the visit to see new hardware, I compare what I have like the iPhone X with the iPhone 14 Pro/Max and just don't get the drive or desire to upgrade. Yeah, I know it will take nicer photos and videos, but to be honest, what I'm getting out of the photos and videos now on the iPhone X don't seem to be a disappointment.

The Apple Watch is another perfect example of how Apple's very own hardware can paint itself into a corner. My Series 3 even though it no longer gets updates tells the time, I can measure my heart pulse, glance at notifications, respond to text or quickly check the weather; or even make and receive phone calls if I so choose. Its not slow either and feels just as responsive as the day I bought it. The Watch just might be the first device I do upgrade if and when I do. But the fact that the Series 5, 6, 7, 8 or Ultra has not motivated me to part with cash again speaks to how quickly an Apple presentation wares off.

One device I always use every time I visit is the AirPods Max, they are just amazing and immersive! But, are they worth the $499 for what feels like an occasional moment of bliss? My Beats Solo I found in the garbage two years ago seem to be satisfactory enough for me to keep using it too. AirPods Pro as much as they are everywhere have not pulled me in yet not to mention the batteries dying a couple years later does sound like good value for money.

The conclusion here is there is nothing in any of Apple's current lineup that really pulls you in. Sure, they look great, they work great for the most part, but that must have feeling seems to have died or faded somewhere for me. The 2020 M1 MBP is my most recent Apple purchase and I love it and use it everyday. The battery life and performance is what pulled me in even though my Early 2015 MacBook Pro was still fully supported and doing most of what I wanted for it; especially at the height of the pandemic where it was mostly stationary.

Maybe I need to start mountain climbing, go to more cafe's, find more eclectic friends to vogue with for ultra wide photos, start making independent films, study graphic design and go to the park where I find inspiration to lay in the grass and create sketches using my Apple Pencil and FaceTime more with family, friends and co-workers.

But are the quality of life improvements offered in these new generation of products worth it to upgrade? I just don't think so. Then again, this might just be a first world problem.

 

[Warped9]

My revelation with Apple products, particular the ones I own: they work as advertised, work flawlessy and always there when I need them.

- My 2011 21.5 iMac has never let me down.
- My iPad Pro 10.5 continues to work like new.
- My iPhone 8+ gives me zero issues.
- My 7th Gen iPod Touch works as it should.

Only the iPod Touch is relatively new. The rest are each several years old and none have ever given me cause for complaint.

This is a huge thing I like about Apple—things work as they should for a very long time. Thats worth a lot. And I don’t need to be wowed by ”revelations” and new gimmicks with every device upgrade.

I also like the feel of their products. I feel like I’m holding something substantial in my hands, compared to most other mainstream devices which are all plastic and feel easily disposable.

 

[Mr. Dee]

My revelation with Apple products, particular the ones I own: they work as advertised, work flawlessy and always there when I need them.

- My 2011 21.5 iMac has never let me down.
- My iPad Pro 10.5 continues to work like new.
- My iPhone 8+ gives me zero issues.
- My 7th Gen iPod Touch works as it should.

Only the iPod Touch is relatively new. The rest are each several years old and none have ever given me cause for complaint.

This is a huge thing I like about Apple—things work as they should for a very long time. Thats worth a lot. And I don’t need to be wowed by ”revelations” and new gimmicks with every device upgrade.

I also like the feel of their products. I feel like I’m holding something substantial in my hands, compared to most other mainstream devices which are all plastic and feel easily disposable.

It’s interesting that you mentioned that because that has always been a quality of Apple products like the Mac. I remember the days when people would still use an outdated Max as their only computer. It wasn’t strange to come across a G4 post Intel or Quadro still in use for graphic design years later. There would be old versions of Quark and Adobe Photoshop installed and they did the job.

I always have great memories of a Performa at a local design shop with Mac OS 8, QuarkXPress, Photoshop 2.0.

 

[Warped9]

My point is I don’t feel underwhelmed by Apple’s year-to-year products or upgrades. I know development doesn’t involve revolutionary advances/changes on a yearly or assembly line basis. Advancement is largely incremental with periodic significant upgrades.

There are limited ways to design the physical form of a laptop, tablet or phone. The hardware and software advancements are going to be largely incremental. Advances like the M1 will be occasional. Beyond introducing a new OS most everything that follows will be refining and tweaking it to add new features. Rarely are you going to have something game changing in the software of an OS.

Assuming it’s a good design a new physical form factor is a very occasional event. After the intro it’s largely a matter of evolutionary refinement. Big design changes are rare.


If there is anything that underwhelms me with Apple it’s their annual hype when introducing incremental upgrades with the iPhone. So much of it is really a yawn. And this is true with every other smartphone manufacturer.

Pretty much all the major features people use have been introduced years ago. Now it’s a matter of tweaking. Change from year to year will be minimal and largely insignificant. Change over several years or so can be more significant. My iPhone 8+ was introduced in 2017–five, soon to be six, years ago. It works perfectly and I still greatly appreciate its form factor. To me Apple hasn’t shown me anything since to convince me my phone is outdated and can no longer satisfy my needs. All I’ve seen are small variations on an essential forms and incremental changes in performance and capability—nothing to excite me. The loss of a physical home button strikes me as the biggest change.

And thats okay because there are only very limited, very few optimal, ways to design a smartphone. Same with a laptop. Same with a tablet.

In my book I’m already way ahead using Mac OS, iOS and iPadOS over Windows and Android.

The most recent things that wowed me were the introduction of the M1 and the design of the new iMac.. Now I’m mainly interested in seeing Apple refine them. Other than performance improvements new iPads aren’t going to be exciting unless they get dramatically thinner with really small bezels.

And thats okay.

 

[the future]

So you get many, many years of satisfying functionality out of all your Apple devices … and that is somehow a problem? Just be happy you save so much money.

Most other things you write are just purely subjective. If I look at your list of devices, the MacBook Pro is actually pretty new and headphones are generally not something that many people buy/upgrade very often. The iPhone X was the “great design leap“ model and thus still looks modern if you can accept the photo/video quality (I couldn‘t). The Apple Watch Series 3 and the 2017 iPad Pro 12.9, on the other hand, look and feel quite dated compared to the current devices and I, subjectively, wouldn‘t be happy still using them - but that is where the subjectivity comes into play. If you are happy using them, that’s all that should matter to you. What it absolutely doesn‘t mean is that later releases of these devices were objectively „underwhelming“.

And as @Warped9 also alluded to - even Apple cannot re-invent the wheel all the time. Smartphones and tablets are just very mature device categories by now. I want to be amazed by the „next big thing“ just as much as everyone else, but these things take (a lot of) time. Meanwhile it‘s completely up to you how satisfied/underwhelmed you are by the incremental updates inbetween. But even those certainly add up.

 

[jz0309]

Don't get me wrong and I think maybe its a good thing. But, with each product launch over the past 3 to 4 years, I have been underwhelmed. And it shows in my current lineup:

• 2020 M1 MacBook Pro
• iPhone X
• Apple Watch Series 3
• 2017 iPad Pro 12.9
• Beats Solo

so you still like and get satisfactory use out of those products - good for you.
For me, have a M1 MBA - phantasmic laptop, no need to upgrade for years.
. had iPhone X, now 13PM - vast improvements, camera, modem, battery life to name a few, absolutely worthwhile upgrade - for me.
. had AW3, upgraded to S4/7/Ultra - vast improvements for me, eg ECG, AOD, water resistance to name a few, all worthwhile upgrades - for me
. have APP 1st gen, don't see need for upgrade, they do just fine.

so, depending on your use cases, some products do just fine for years, others have significantly improved, YMMV.

Overall, rarely see the need to upgrade every year (or so), some upgrades just aren't compelling enough, but, am I "underwhelmed" by the progress made over the years? not really, just that certain features aren't for me and that is ok, lots of people want those features and just buy new tech all the time ...

 

[sorgo †]

I see you are from the Seattle area @Mr. Dee Which Apple Store were you visiting? Which is your favorite?

I typically frequent the Southcenter location but if I really want that luxe Apple experience I do enjoy a trip to University Village

 

[monstermash]

Do you buy when something attractive comes out?

Or do you buy when you need to replace what you have for whatever reason?

I buy when I need to replace what I have. It's why my laptop is from 2012. My desktop is from 2014. My phone WAS FROM 2018, but I replaced it this year because I killed the one I had by spilling soda on it.

As a "buy when I need" rather than a "buy when I'm excited" buyer, I don't really have any "underwhelmed" feelings about what Apple announces. By the the time I get to the point where I need to replace something, whatever they are offering is going to be a lot better than what I have.

 

[Mr. Dee]

Do you buy when something attractive comes out?

Or do you buy when you need to replace what you have for whatever reason?

I buy when I need to replace what I have. It's why my laptop is from 2012. My desktop is from 2014. My phone WAS FROM 2018, but I replaced it this year because I killed the one I had by spilling soda on it.

As a "buy when I need" rather than a "buy when I'm excited" buyer, I don't really have any "underwhelmed" feelings about what Apple announces. By the the time I get to the point where I need to replace something, whatever they are offering is going to be a lot better than what I have.

If most people were to buy Apple products only when they need it Apple would not be worth 2.3 Trillion.

 

[monstermash]

If most people were to buy Apple products only when they need it Apple would not be worth 2.3 Trillion.

Pretty sure that's the case. Apple does a great job of convincing people to buy stuff they don't need.

As happy as I am about that fact, I don't need to be one of those people.

 

[klasma]

Apple products are more like a car or a bike now: they should last you quite a number of years. If anything, Apple products still lack longevity in comparison.

 

[Warped9]

If anything, Apple products still lack longevity in comparison.

In comparison to what? Cars?

Thats not a fair comparison.

Compared to other computerized devices Apple does just fine. MacBooks are more likely to last longer than other laptops. iPads are know to last longer on average than other tablets. iPhones are pretty durable devices. Mac desktops commonly have long service lives.

 

[Mr. Dee]

Apple products are more like a car or a bike now: they should last you quite a number of years. If anything, Apple products still lack longevity in comparison.

I guess that's the era we are going into now, the future has basically arrived. I think about how even my views on topics like streaming has changed. Spotify is now my main way listening to music, Amazon Prime is most of the time how I consume movies. The iPhone and iPad when they were first introduced seemed like they were always going to be products I would always want to upgrade to new revs just to ensure I am on the cutting edge. But, looking back at the period 2007 to 2014 it made sense. I guess the dust has kind of settled where these are solved problems. I don't need to always have the latest and just use what I have until it just no longer meets a specific need and replace it if I must. Maybe I am just not as excited about technology as I use to be.

 

[monstermash]

Apple products are more like a car or a bike now: they should last you quite a number of years. If anything, Apple products still lack longevity in comparison.

I am going to disagree on a cost basis. Even the cheapest new car one is likely to buy is in the $20K range. It isn't reasonable to expect a $1-$2K phone or computer to last anywhere nearly long as that $20K car.

FWIW....my car is a 2007. My laptop is a 2012. My desktop is a 2014.

I don't use my laptop much anymore, due to lack of need. I don't see myself replacing the desktop anytime soon. In the last 2 years, I've spent some $15K on car repairs. I don't see myself replacing it anytime soon either.

 

[pdoherty]

I love the new Stage Manager capability of forcing previously-forced-portrait-perspective apps to run in landscape mode. It's worth it for that alone. Sagrada is an example app I'd like to play more but, despite owning it, never do because of this. Now I can!

 

[mectojic]

Apple, like most other tech companies, has realised by now that tech for most regular users has stagnated. Email, Youtube (video playback), audio, web browsing – it hasn't really sped up in 10 years. I see practically no difference in performance between an M1 and my 2012 MacBook Pro when browsing.

I think every technology has its golden age at some point, which can only be seen in retrospect. I've heard people say that toasters peaked in the 1950s, and microwaves in the 1990s, and though can't confirm it, but you get the idea. Computers probably peaked in terms of their capability to do daily tasks in the early 2010s.
When improvements come to an end, companies are forced to "downgrade" their products to reduce their longevity. That's why Apple has fully moved to soldered SSDs, difficult battery replacements, non-upgradable ram. Back in the 2010s, companies felt confident allowing you to upgrade their devices, because the CPU and hardware gains of future generations was enough to tempt you to buy a newer product.

I think a lot of people are familiar with the slowing down upgrade cycle. People bought something like this: 1999 iMac, 2000 new iMac, 2002 iMac G4, 2004 iMac G5, 2007 iMac Intel, 2010 C2D iMac, 2015 iMac, 2023 next upgrade.

 

[klasma]

I am going to disagree on a cost basis. Even the cheapest new car one is likely to buy is in the $20K range. It isn't reasonable to expect a $1-$2K phone or computer to last anywhere nearly long as that $20K car.

I don’t think that a comparison based on cost makes much sense between different classes of products. My bike is over ten years old and didn’t cost much more than a Pro Max costs now. Similar for my TV and audio equipment. I have household appliances that each cost less and are two decades old, and still work perfectly fine.

There’s nothing in today’s smartphone hardware that prevents them from lasting ten years or longer (assuming a replaceable battery). What tends to make them obsolete earlier is the software which stops getting security updates, and updates relating to existing online services whose technical interfaces are changed in backwards-incompatible ways. To be fair, Cars nowadays arguably have similar problems on the software side.

 

[klasma]

In comparison to what? Cars?

Thats not a fair comparison.

I don’t see why that’s unfair. Cars are fairly computerized as well nowadays. And why should something stop working earlier just because it is computerized? I’m hoping that we are moving into a future where computerized devices last longer and longer. Who needs the constant churn when the existing functionality suffices?

 

[monstermash]

I don’t think that a comparison based on cost makes much sense between different classes of products. My bike is over ten years old and didn’t cost much more than a Pro Max costs now.

A bike is a fundamentally mechanical thing, and is a "low tech" device. Of course it will last a long time.

"Similar for my TV and audio equipment. I have household appliances that each cost less and are two decades old, and still work perfectly fine."

Sure. But you're not worried about someone hacking into them, nor do you ask them to do things that they didn't do when you bought them.

With a computer, people want security updates and new features when they come out. If you want to forgo those things, you can still use a Mac from 20 years ago too. The HARDWARE lasts. The utility you get from it, not so much.

There’s nothing in today’s smartphone hardware that prevents them from lasting ten years or longer (assuming a replaceable battery). What tends to make them obsolete earlier is the software which stops getting security updates, and updates relating to existing online services whose technical interfaces are changed in backwards-incompatible ways.

Exactly.

 

[Mr. Dee]

I don’t think that a comparison based on cost makes much sense between different classes of products. My bike is over ten years old and didn’t cost much more than a Pro Max costs now. Similar for my TV and audio equipment. I have household appliances that each cost less and are two decades old, and still work perfectly fine.

There’s nothing in today’s smartphone hardware that prevents them from lasting ten years or longer (assuming a replaceable battery). What tends to make them obsolete earlier is the software which stops getting security updates, and updates relating to existing online services whose technical interfaces are changed in backwards-incompatible ways. To be fair, Cars nowadays arguably have similar problems on the software side.

The iPhone X will be the perfect example of planned obselesence when they finally drop support. Apple could keep supporting all these phones with new versions of iOS minus whatever new features need more memory, faster GPU. Just provide security updates and include the features that are not performance based. Security updates should not be about performance. There is no reason the iPhone X couldn't keep getting security updates and still be useful until 2028.

 

[monstermash]

The iPhone X will be the perfect example of planned obselesence when they finally drop support. Apple could keep supporting all these phones with new versions of iOS minus whatever new features need more memory, faster GPU. Just provide security updates and include the features that are not performance based. Security updates should not be about performance. There is no reason the iPhone X couldn't keep getting security updates and still be useful until 2028.

Totally unreasonable to expect lifetime support for a product.

Totally unreasonable to expect software updates on a phone or computer once it is 5 years old.

 

[thejadedmonkey]

I sort of agree. Everything that Apple makes, works well together, and Apple lets you upgrade at your own pace (as long as it's within so many years) and you continue to get the full Apple Experience.

But I really wish that Microsoft hadn't left the consumer space.

They had the MS Band
A phone, that could even double as a PC for light duty!
A tablet
The PC
A TV streaming and gaming box
Zune
Cortana Speaker

Like for every single device Apple offers, MS at one point or another had an answer for it, and 9 times out of 10 it was better than the Apple version. But it never happened at the same time (some things being a decade apart) and was always dropped before it could get anywhere. Apple desperately needs some competition in the consumer arena, but Google isn't going to give them any and Microsoft can't figure out how to sell it

 

[Warped9]

Cars are fairly computerized as well nowadays.

Don't get me started on this subject.

Yes, cars have been computerized for decades now, but it's now getting truly absurd, in my opinion (as if that really needs being said).

I have a 2004 Ford Crown Victoria. And, yes, the engine has a computerized management system. It has nothing else computerized and I love it for that. No damned infotainment system to drive me crazy just to adjust the heat or air conditioning. No stupid multi-modes for gear changes, steering firmness or suspension adjustments. It has clear and straightforward instruments and controls that are easy to use night or day.

If I need the car to drag me back into my lane then I shouldn't be driving because I'm not paying attention. If I need a blindspot warning then I shouldn't be driving because I'm not paying attention. If I need braking assistance (beyond anti-lock braking) then I shouldn't be driving because I'm not paying attention. It's technology that serves to distract the driver and cultivates inattenion and lack of awareness. And all of this crap on top of us being told for years that using a cellphone while driving, even handsfree, is highly distracting and seriously ill-advised.

And the interior looks like a car rather than an iPad on wheels. Ever more cars are not being designed with any real sense of interesting aesthetics to the dashboard and instrument binnacle. Now they just slap an oversized and elongated rectangular tablet on the dash and call it a day. Kias and BMWs look practically interchangeable on the inside now.

And one of the coolest cars ever made, the Ford Mustang, has an interior now ruined with what now looks like a new Kia Sportage. The 2024 Mustang no longer looks like a sportscar on the inside--it looks like anything but.


*Sigh* Rant over, and back to the subject at hand...

 

[BanjoDudeAhoy]

Pretty sure that's the case. Apple does a great job of convincing people to buy stuff they don't need.

As happy as I am about that fact, I don't need to be one of those people.

Yep. They do a good job with their happy people in the ads that make it seem like having this very product will make you just as happy and that suddenly you’ll do all sorts of creative stuff even if you’ve never done it before.

Then there’s the (sometimes significant) design changes that make older devices look less desirable.
The design changes prompted me to get a new iPad Air 5 when my Air 3 was still doing what I needed from it. Sure, the home button annoyed me when writing on it very often (I often pressed it accidentally, no matter which way around I used the iPad).
That’s about the only actual “flaw” for me, though. The rest was most definitely “oooh, shiny!”

Apart from that, though…
MBP 13” 2020 (Intel i5)
MBA M1 (has mostly taken the MBP’s place but I can’t bring myself to sell the MBP, especially because I no longer get anywhere near what I would have, had M1 not happened)
iPhone 11
Specifically with the iPhone I don’t see myself upgrading any time soon.

 

[monstermash]

I sort of agree. Everything that Apple makes, works well together, and Apple lets you upgrade at your own pace (as long as it's within so many years) and you continue to get the full Apple Experience.

But I really wish that Microsoft hadn't left the consumer space.

They had the MS Band
A phone, that could even double as a PC for light duty!
A tablet
The PC
A TV streaming and gaming box
Zune
Cortana Speaker

Like for every single device Apple offers, MS at one point or another had an answer for it, and 9 times out of 10 it was better than the Apple version. But it never happened at the same time (some things being a decade apart) and was always dropped before it could get anywhere. Apple desperately needs some competition in the consumer arena, but Google isn't going to give them any and Microsoft can't figure out how to sell it

Oh, yes....the Amiga argument. "It was way better than anything else, yet miraculously, consumers were just too dumb to realize it and it failed in the market."

Give me a break.