kiwimachead

Genius marketing. Apple wrote the book on product colours back in the 90’s. It’s amazing the cliche still works so effectively when smartphones and their screens are far too pricey and fragile to not have a case.

Looking like the iPhone 16 product line up will be a year old before the upcoming machine learning AI features are implemented, so I’m sticking with the workhorse 14 Pro until iPhone 17 or 18 Pro models are released. iPhone is starting to look a bit stale and really needs worthwhile hardware improvements across the board, plus for all of the new AI features to be actually working in iOS. One positive for consumers is that Apple have at least showcased what is forthcoming to iOS, as well as provided honest information regarding hardware requirements. Three sheets to the wind bloatware vendors like Microsoft would’ve capitulated to shareholders by releasing iOS 18 to everyone in a beta state before promptly closing ranks!

5x zoom should be standard on all iPhones, considering one of the primary reasons people like iPhones is the camera. The standard iPhone 15 already costs as much as an M2 MacBook Air, which is a whole lot of coin to only get a budget phone that misses out on standard tech from all other manufacturers and (when compared to the overpriced pro models) you’re lumped with; a less efficient older processor with poor ram and crappy battery life, a 60hz screen with no ‘always on’ option, only a 2x optical zoom, no Raw shooting, no Macro shooting, less video options, no LiDAR Scanner, no threaded network support, cheaper case materials, among other things… I go for the pro phone models to get the extra functionality as it’s helpful for my work as a builder and creative. It does feel like I’m getting ripped off for all the conveniences with the ‘Apple tax’ however as I’ve funded my household (wife, kids and business) to be in the Apple ecosystem since the 1990’s and it ain’t cheap. 

Apple really jumped the gun on this announcement. Their AI features look great but are still probably a year away from being delivered and ironed out so can only guess they are masking embarrassment at how outdated the performance of Siri and predictive text, etc, are looking in 2024. My 256GB 14 Pro is only two years old and as poor as the basic functionality is for some stuff, it’s still a fast phone so will just wait for new features to be ironed out with the iPhone 17 or 18 pro.

The entire iPad lineup needs access to a more powerful OS and AI to justify the currently outlandish pricing. Can access all the services and business+home functionality we currently want as a family with our MBA M3, iPhone Pro and SE, AirPods Pro 2’s and Earpods, Apple TV with stereo paired HomePods and an iPad mini that our youngest uses. That is already a lot of money spent on Apple on top of our Apple One subscription and AppleCare. Finally getting myself an Apple Watch this year purely for health and fitness tracking as I’m getting older (& my wife will want one too), but can’t see another iPad or an AVP for that matter unless these products become more functional and/or the currently stratospheric prices drop.