amarkap

You know all these people complaining about the lack of colors but honestly if you search Amazon for AirPod skins you will find a boat load of cool skins for your Airpods.  It will only be a matter of time before they are available for these Pro models.  I've never used them myself but if the pictures are any indications...they will make your Airpod look amazing.  They are not even all that expensive.

Yea, White is fine with me.  If I want to change it up for whatever reason, options exist.  Perhaps Apple knows this.  Why bother having someone spend $250.00 on something and then later regret they don't like the color and wish they had another one.  So much better to use replaceable skins instead.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Airpod+Skins&ref=nb_sb_noss_2

Sorry...but there is just too much talk about the cameras on the phone.  This is a terrible event....Watch series 4 was awesome but iphone is just becoming more awesome in areas that does not really help sell new phones or dare I say anyone cares about.  Of course, just my opinion.  But stock is taking a beating too.  Absolutely nothing here that would want me to upgrade to these new X ‘S’ phones.   Yup, there will always be that one guy who says this...and this time it was me.

Thought too maybe something Mac Mini related....maybe new iPads...maybe something totally new.  Something exciting but Nope.  Apple not a good showing...sorry.

Let me just put in my (possibly worthless) two cents, I think where Apple nailed it is with the bands.  I know with all the other technologies these things offer, putting emphasis on the band is pretty silly right?  Well, not in my opinion.  The thing that makes Apple Watches so appealing outside of their technology is they just look darn awesome with their bands.  There are so many to choose from and Apple does a great thing by showing you a Watch face and colors and complement that band perfectly.  These Android Wear 2.0 watch while cool...I think don't have very appealing bands.  I suppose it is all subjective, but like I said just my two cents.  I'm glad Apple put as much thought into their bands as the watch itself.

By the way, I was an early adopter and got my Apple Watch only a few weeks after it was initially released.  Back then, hardly anyone had one on.  This year, I see them on so many people.  Each one with a different type of band...so happy to Apple for gaining market share.

One thing that does concern me is that Apple has made such a great product that people won't want to upgrade often.  I mean I have no reason to buy another.  My 1st generation works just fine for me.  I am only concerned because again people will say YoY decline in Apple Watch sales because no one will want to upgrade like me.  This is what happened with their iPad.  It is not that the iPad is bad product it is just it is such a good product that hardly anyone needs to buy the latest and greatest.

My comment has not much to do with Series 8 or this article per se, but just an interesting observation from me.  My 84 yr old Mother has an iPhone but she is very challenged with using it.  I don't blame her.  Apple makes it harder and harder for the elderly to use their phones.  But she tries her best and can fuddle through.  At least we got it to the point where she can take calls and to a point even make calls using the Contacts app.  That is a win enough.  Anyway, when my series 6 took a fall and cracked (and then went into the water) it was time to get a new Apple Watch (series 7).  For some crazy reason, my Mom was intrigued by this device I got for myself and wanted to wear it and try it.  I'm telling you it was love at first wear.  So many problems with her using the phone and even sending simple text messages like OK and Thank you were solved with this Apple Watch.  I set it up so she could get the weather on her watch face also.  She cannot go for a day without it now.   One time we visited my Sister for the weekend and her Apple Watch got left behind and she missed it terribly.  I'm so amazed that someone who is 80+ yrs. old could take to something like this when I know she is challenged with technology.  Needless to say my Series 7 went to her now and I bought myself another one...so now we both have one.  Again, has nothing to do with this article or the Series 8 but just to tell you the power of this amazing little device.

igud71 said:

What a disappointment. They slept all the year doing nothing for watchOS. This is watchOS 7.5.1. 

They are lucky that competition is practicaly nonexistent. So Apple can do useless things with Apple watchOS.

In the world exist people which are not obsessed with fitness, meditation. We love nice looking things with attention to details.

Verdict:

Hardware 9

Software 3

So you love nice looking things with attention to details....then you already have it with your Apple Watch.  Why do you care about Watch OS 8 upgrade being so minor this year?  To be honest our Apple Watches already do more than anyone thought it could do...they really don’t need anything more at this point.  I mean Apple will always surprise us...but we don’t need a killer upgrade every year.

slow n easy said:

mark fearing said:

I find it hard to believe that Apple thought that this first version would sell like gangbusters. They MUST have people connected to the real world who realize a $3,500 toy is off limits to the majority of the population. So I take it they went the Mercedes route - knowing they would sell less (Than Ford), but still have a good idea of how many would sell. Now the bigger question is - does anyone care about goggle based VR? And having tried them out for many years, I suspect it's a really tough sell to the vast majority of people. And the device rather quickly becomes an afterthought.  But hey, I'm open to being wrong here. I don't know. But my guess is Apple MUST have had a pretty solid idea on sales and that the 'shifting' to a cheaper set isn't a sudden thing, but part of the plan. 

I’m not sure why you even had that thought. Of course Apple didn’t think that it was going to sell like gangbusters. This product was never marketed as a mass produced product that many millions of people would buy. It was mainly marketed to developers so that when they did have a mainstream product, there would already be an ecosystem in place for it.

This product was never marketed as a mass produced product that millions of people would buy?  Are you sure about that Mate?  Around the time of its release, I recall going to the Apple website and there it was...the very first thing you see...the AVP.   I'm sure there were hundreds of thousands of regular (non-developer) customers that visited their website back then.  Further, I recall I could even purchase the product using my iPhone and I'm hardly a developer.  Not to mention about a month ago I went to our local Apple Store and guess what?  The sales person asked me if I wanted a 20 minute in-store demo of the AVP (which I took part in).  That demo was designed for regular users not developers.  Again, my point it Apple 100% marketed the AVP as if it was a mainstream device for them.  Never once did I get the feeling it was only just for developers.  Between you and me, obviously at a price close to $4K with everything added in...the regular Joe was hardly going to impulse buy this or even think about giving it as a Xmas gift...but Apple sure tried (and failed).

paulmacintosh said:

Apple Vision Air, Apple Vision Mini, or just plain Apple Vision?

You know just having more fun with your post...I looked at all the prior Apple Products and came up with all these combinations that are sort of Apple Like.  Who knows maybe one of them will be a future product name. 

What is exactly wrong with people these days?  To be honest, what is the point of saying "Please don't use AVP while driving" as these morons are going to do it anyway.  Every day I see these young kids driving with their faces buried in their phone.  Their attention is anywhere but on the road and driving. 

Why can't people just drive anymore? If you have to wait at the traffic light...just wait.  Why do you have to multi-task and check your Fantasy Football score?  See if anyone has hit the like button your post, etc.

I guess the only thing you can do when driving is maybe glance over at your GPS map so you can get to your destination.  But those apps try to be as out-of-the-way as possible.  Trust me, even using Apple Maps or Waze is difficult for me...but I do it.

Please understand, my comment is no way directed to Apple.  They should continue to provide consumers with innovative technology like the AVP...but why in the world do we need to have people drive with it?  Even if it had some cool AR app to help you drive...or show you info on stores/restaurants you pass...I just feel all that just gets in the way of keeping your attention and focus on the road.

Maybe I am just old now...maybe the younger generation can do all this simultaneously while driving.  I don't know...but I will end this saying this guy was crazy for wearing his AVP while driving.  Just keep it home...you spend over $3.5K on it...why even take it out of the house?  I would be just scared to do it.

MrUNIMOG said:

I can't imagine what the benefit would be to have a wireless charger like that. Just a short USB-C to Lightning cable seems way more practical than this.

That's not to say I wasn't seeing the benefits of wireless charging in general. Having a stationary mat somewhere so you can just drop your AirPods, iPhone or whatever on absolutely makes sense. But this? I don't get it.

I don't get it either.  Will probably make a good Xmas gift for someone just because you have to get them something...but otherwise I see no benefit of this.  That is not to say I wouldn't be thankful if someone gave it to me as a gift! :-)

waveparticle said:

netrox said:

waveparticle said:

Why Apple won't put GPS into iPad? Many apps won't work without GPS. 

 
Strange, I have never thought "I wish my iPad has GPS!"  

What apps need GPS to function? iPad apps can rely on Location Services to know where they're at. 

 

Does Maps work on iPad without GPS when you are outside without an iPhone? 

Is that really a common use case for an iPad to use Maps?  To be honest, I'm not sure how most people use their iPad's but if it's anything like me (and I'm as generic as they come) it is probably to check their emails, surf the Internet, do online shopping, and watch Netflix in bed all of which really don't need a GPS.  Said another way, I have no idea if my 5 year old iPad Air does or doesn't have GPS, I just know I never seem to care or be concerned about it.  My iPhone along with CarPlay certainly need it and I would not accept not having it on my iPhone.