When Tim Cook took over the reigns from Steve Jobs, many stated that it was an almost impossible job to succeed the man that many thought was the ultimate leader and visionary. Since then, every keynote, every launch perhaps every announcement from Apple is put under the microscope and scrutinised and compared to how different things would have been had Steve been around today. The iPhone 7 launch was no different in terms of provoking a reaction. The Apple we saw was younger, perhaps a little more vibrant and definitely not as arrogant as we have come to know them. Here are five things that stood out, that will tell you, this is a different Apple.
That Beginning of the Keynote
Tim Cook kicked the event off, with a video where he was seen with James Corden and singer Pharrel Williams riding a Range Rover. The idea of the video was to promote ‘Carpool Karaoke’ but it was done in a way that we have not come to expect from Apple in the last few years. The video had Tim Cook taking a joke on himself, it involved, in general, being cool and more youthful and opening a keynote unlike ever. It also was an effort from Tim Cook to break away from the white collared image that most have of him. Steve Jobs was always the cool CEO, whereas Tim Cook has generally come across someone who is more formal meticulous kind. His public image may be very different from the real him, but seeing Tim Cook loosen up a bit before the audience was actually a throwback to what Apple was. Instead of the usual ‘Good morning, thank you for being here. We have some breath taking products for you lined up today’, the speech was more relaxed and in general, Tim looked at ease, perhaps he feels more at home and at ease in the big chair?
Unlike Earlier, Apple has Confused us with the new iPhone Lineup
Apple killed the 16GB iPhone and iPad at the event and this was met with a rousing and thunderous applause. It was a move that was coming. Someone rightly pointed out on Twitter, that more than Apple giving in to the demand of the users, it was the cost of the largely out dated 16GB flash memory that pushed Apple into going with the 32GB variant, given that it is now more or less becoming a standard. However, imagine if you had just picked a 16GB iPhone 6s a few weeks before the new iPhone. Or what about markets like India where iPhone is sold unlocked? All of a sudden people are asking for iPhone 6 Plus 32GB and most of the offline retailers have no clue about it. It has caused a massive confusion, something Apple of all OEMs out there never did. They were clear on the product lineup. Perhaps the way out could have been to just upgrade the iPhone 7 lineup’s base model to 32GB, or to just introduce the 32GB iPhone 6s in the lineup and continue as it is. If a user wants to buy an iPhone 6s, a month to go before the release of the iPhone 7 in India, he is in a fix as to what to do. You would think that with the sales number of the iPhone tumbling, Apple would not want to cloud the judgement of its users, but in the attempt to give them more, that is exactly what Apple has done. And let’s not even get started on whether the iPhone SE will have a successor or not, and if it is indeed the right product to pick now that the iPhone 6 is officially out of the portfolio.
The Apple Watch Series 2 Received So Little Love
Apple loves its products, and you know that. It takes some guts otherwise to stand year on year in front of the shark-like media ready to pounce on you for everything, and yet repeat the same year on year the same line that the unit at launch is the best ever and the most innovative one. The Apple Watch Series 2 while correcting pretty much everything that was missing on the first Apple Watch other than the not so overwhelming battery life did not receive the usual enthusiasm. Perhaps it was down to the fact that the Watch was not drastically new or designed again from the ground up, but if you compare the watch announcement to say any other iPhone announcement ever, you will understand the difference. You would not have come out of the hall, thinking you have to buy an Apple Watch Series 2, whereas, when it comes to iPhone, you always feel that. ‘Reality Distortion Field’ perhaps does not apply for the Apple Watch.
The App Demos were a bit Lifeless
If you are someone who grew up in the 90s you will admit that Super Mario coming to the iPhone made you feel good about the world. However, there was no release date of the same was announced. It was similar for the Pokemon Go coming to the Apple Watch. For once, all the app demos felt as though they were rushed into and there just because they have always been there. In fact, if Mario was not Mario and just another game, after the presentation, you would perhaps not even looked forward to it. The story was the same for the other app demos that were live. Apple Demos were cool, they made you want to download the apps immediately, but looks like even Apple is struggling to entice everyone with apps, as we reach towards the thresh hold of possibilities.
First time an old Apple Hardware Has received a Component Transplant
While we have seen numerous MacBook upgrades and even in iPhone as the case was with iPhone SE where an old chassis design has been used with upgraded internals, this was the first time, where Apple just literally replaced a component in the old hardware and discontinued the original one. The Apple Watch Series 1 is basically the same Apple Watch as two years ago but with the all new S2 chip in it. Not sure if we should read that as Apple saying that the first Apple Watch was under powered, or simply looking to boost the sale of the Watch by making it even more powerful, but it was the first time where Apple literally did a component transplant, perhaps giving hope that your current Apple hardware may actually not become a product for the museums in the usual two or three year period.
Just like every major OEM, Apple is constantly improvising and improving, its the only way to stay afloat and competitive. While this is not a post bashing Apple for changing, in fact, some of the changes were for the better, we have only tried to highlight the changes and bring them to notice. Do share your views with us in the section below.
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