Today's much-anticipated unveiling of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus have made one thing perfectly clear to consumers and stockholders: things will be very different under Tim Cook.
Most people will consider this a nice change of pace. Already, Apple seems to have embraced the change, allowing unprecedented access to their products by third-party developers (customizable keyboards, anyone?) and breaking down the infamous "walled garden" that was so synonymous with Jobs' reign atop his Cupertino-based empire.
But is change on this level really what Apple needs? More importantly, is change on this level what Apple's customers and shareholders expect?
Apple is in an awkward spot, both trying to mimic Jobs' ideals while at the same time pushing forward into a new chapter of their history. These growing pains are most evident when Tim Cook utters the famous words, "Oh, and one more thing..." without any of Jobs' sly bravado. The reaction to these words is simply tongue-in-cheek nostalgia rather than the gripping anticipation that fueled so many of Apple's past unveilings.
The lack of awe-inspiring reverence in Apple's culture these days can be largely chalked to up to their inability to capture the user's imagination the way they had in years past. Let's take for instance, the many online "leaks" leading up to today's event. It's no secret that Apple closely monitors which information makes it to the public beforehand and which is reserved for their conferences. That's not the point. The point is, the leaks were always tantalizing because, in general, we could always count on Apple to come up with something completely different to what we'd calculated from those leaks.
In their conference today, rather than give a slight nod to those leaks and then take things to a new, unanticipated level, Apple not only acknowledged the leaks, but did so in such a mundane "but you know this already" attitude that it completely undermined the entire event.
The iPhone 6 looks exactly as we thought it would: complete with rounded edges and the ghastly stripes on the back of the casing that make it almost a twin to the HTC One. And, as expected, Cupertino released a second model (a precedent it set last year with the 5c and 5s) with the announcement of the iPhone 6 Plus. Only this time, rather than simply offering a pricier option a la last year's models, Apple decided to make two different sized phones altogether. Again, this is what we all expected to hear, and most were glad to hear it.
With the obligatory marginal spec-bump and using almost the same exact cameras as the previous generation, the only noticeable evolution was the disappearance of a 32GB option in favor of the 64GB and new 128GB model.
And, because it wasn't enough to give us the phones we expected, Apple then touted the words that often marked some of the most memorable moments in their history and unveiled the Apple Watch as "one more thing."
Of course, it was well known that Apple would eventually jump into the wearables market, and the anticipation was so high that those in attendance held their collective breaths while they watched the video revealing the cleverly christened "Apple Watch". When the film ended, they gave Cook and Co. a standing ovation.
The folks from Cupertino then proceeded to demo a few commercial-worthy features that, in hindsight (read: outside the Apple-colored lenses of the conference hall) are little more than parlor tricks to keep people busy for the first week after buying the thing. As expected, the watch gathers most of the information from your iPhone (and only iPhone) and puts it on your wrist. Contacts, Calendar, Mail, Messages, Maps, Music, etc. are now just a raised-wrist away. It's ironic that Apple releases its biggest iPhones to date alongside a wearable that attempts to put that experience on its smallest screen ever.
The Watch is elegantly designed, granted, though some in the tech community find it less aesthetically pleasing than the Moto 360. But the real disappointment is the lack of Apple magic surrounding the device. Some could say last year's moment was the revelation of Touch ID and how seamlessly it was integrated into the iPhone experience. Others will remember the legendary "Golden Path" Jobs followed to demo the first iPhone seven years ago. What was this year's magic moment? When did your heart say, "Wow"?
There was none, because everything went exactly as we expected it to. And that is a problem (yes, a problem) Apple will need to address as time goes by.
Say what you want about Steve Jobs, but the man could sell his products. Whether those using those products were considered trend-setters or simply mindless sheep of the Apple flock, the results cannot be argued. Jobs made Apple, saved Apple, and helped revolutionize the mobile technology industry with the iPod, iPhone, and iPad. Now, Apple hopes to continue that trend with the Apple Watch, which, like everything else Apple these days, is offered in two different sizes.
The real kicker, however, is that the Apple Watch will retail starting at $349. While the steep price point should come as no surprise to those familiar with the loathed "Apple Tax," the Watch effectively costs more than the phone it's designed to control.
What Apple fails to do--that Jobs was so good at and so well known for--is telling the customer what they want. Again, whether you agree or disagree with that philosophy is not the issue here; only that Apple's philosophy has changed dramatically, and it may be more of a curse than a blessing.
In 2010, I bought an iPhone 4. Why? Because it was the latest and greatest and Android hadn't yet caught up in the smartphone race. My only other option was to buy the iPhone 3GS...last year's model. As a stubborn tech nerd who always craved the latest and greatest, I proudly flaunted my iPhone 4 to anyone who didn't have one. In 2010, if you told someone you got the new iPhone, it was a status symbol. Nowadays, if you tell someone you got the new iPhone, they'll respond with, "Which one?"
Apple has finally done what everyone thought they would never do: they've let the customer dictate how they design their products. A few years ago, while Samsung and other rivals continued to augment their phones' displays, Apple stuck to their guns and told everyone that four inches was the perfect size to use in one hand. When Nokia and HTC started touting 14 megapixel cameras (or higher) in their devices, Apple told everyone it was the lens that made the difference, and has stuck with a standard 8MP camera for the past few generations of iPhone.
But we've finally gotten to a point where concessions had to be made. People were already starting to grumble that the iPhone was too small, and it looked simply puny sitting next to a Galaxy Note. The screen resolution, too, while certainly holding up to Apple's "retina" standards, lacked the numbers to compete with the full HD screens (or clearer) of its competitors.
What could Apple do? Surely its core user demographic was used to the 3.5" and 4" screen sizes. It couldn't simply balloon the phone and alienate those consumers. But by not increasing the size at all, they were leaving serious money on the table by alienating those who moved away from their devices in favor of other brands.
So Apple did the only thing it could do, and released two sizes: the 4.7", which isn't such a far cry from the current models, and the 5.5", to please everyone who believes size really does matter.
This is the issue that lies at the core of Apple's change: allow consumers to tell Apple what to make rather than waiting to see what Cupertino comes up with next.
We now have no fewer than four iPhones on the market: the 5c, 5s, 6, and 6 Plus. While this certainly offers plenty of sizes and price points for consumers, it's also confusing: something that Jobs hated in his products. Apple was always famous for offering one option: one solution. Now they are stuck catering to the whims of the market, which change almost monthly.
The problem isn't only evident in iPhones. We have four iPad models on the market as well (Mini, Mini with Retina Display, iPad with Retina Display, and iPad Air) with a rumored 11-12" version in the works. There's also rumors of a 12" MacBook Air to accompany the standard 11" and 13" versions. And earlier this year, Apple sacrificed premium performance to introduce a "more affordable" line of iMac that lacked much of the power their desktop line is known for.
Jobs' philosophy was simple: offer the consumer one solution, and explain to them why your solution is the best. Cook and Company seem to be of the entire opposite ideal: ask the customer for a solution, and build around that.
It doesn't matter if you're a fan of the Church of Steve Jobs or Apple in general. The company will wear itself and its product line thin in a market that is already oversaturated unless it changes course. There should be one iPhone 6s in 2015. Make it 5.5". Make it 4.7". Make it 5.4". It doesn't matter. Choose one size, and that's the size for Apple. If it doesn't work, you have 364 days to develop an alternative, but Apple itself isn't going to live or die based on a single year or smartphone.
It's time to get back to Apple's roots and stop pandering to the masses. Stop passing off your game of "catch-up" as "revolutionary". Stop studying the trends and start setting them.
And for God's sake, give me a reason to buy an Apple Watch besides sending doodles of hearts and smiley faces. It's 2014. I have emojis for that.
