Apple Event 25/3/2019

Apple General
#1

Well, I started watching the keynote and TBH, got sick of the hyperbole really quickly. So far, it looks like everything is US centric and pretty much n/a for anyone outside the US.

News: Becomes News+ for some. Adds magazines (which they already did in an older app) and other than that, it looks prettier.

Apple Card: Apple CC. Looks decent but do I want to switch, hell no. And could I, if I wanted to? Hell no.

AppleTV+: Just TV app on steroids… if you happen to live in the US.

Apple programs? TBH I did not watch, I saw Jennifer Aniston and Reece Witherspoon and bailed, and came back to see Oprah waxing lyrical… bailed again. Maybe their special programming will appeal to some but its not my cuppa. Also possible that we wont get it over here anyway.

All in all a 2 hour non-Event.

2 Likes
#2

Agreed. All the good stuff got released last week, and that was all catch up.
The only bit truly interesting was the credit card. Which we don’t get yet of course.
It has a lot of potential and will put pressure on westpac and NAB to give up and introduce Apple Pay.
But the main thing that is really cool is how it works and future capability.
Building out a family credit card the parent gets the instant info on would be awesome.
The map detail to help remind you where the purchase was made will also massively improve Apple Maps no doubt. Think about that.

The subscription services are unlikely to get any of my business. Hugely underwhelming. Oprah is so yesterday. Part of the elite aristocracy that Cook aspires to.

As for the rebranding of the 4th gen Apple TV with no hardware change and no price drop. That is outright insulting.

1 Like
#3

Yawn… the latest (non) event from Apple. Nothing for consumers outside of the US, and even from a US POV, this is all underwhelming.

1 Like
#4

And where is the new iPod Touch?

#5

As someone in the market for a new ATV, no suggestion of new hardware in any of this was there?

There _might_be a new ATV later in the year, there was but no suggestion of that in this announcement.

#6

Nope. hardware was last week

#7

They did rebrand the 4th generation Apple TV to Apple TV HD.
The rebranding justifies maintaining the old price for four year old product though.

#8

Doesnt count as new IMO

#9

I have to say - I’m glad I didn’t stay up for this one…

#10

Bit of a snoozefest. I don’t know why they’re trying to compete with Netflix.

I’m a bit frustrated that they couldn’t continue airport development, but they are making original content? Anyone can make original content, only Apple can make Airport devices (as in routers that tie directly into the ecosystem).

3 Likes
#11

Wow a lot of doom and gloom in here.

I for one think the event went pretty well. Sure not everything was amazing, not really into magazines on iOS because that industry is pretty much dead, and the new Apple TV app didn’t feel as amazing as they made it sound, however:

  • Apple Arcade sounds like a great idea to get gaming companies making the games they want as opposed to just what sells. This normally sparks something amazing.

  • Apple Card. Fantastic bloody idea, this is what banks should be doing. Get rid of fees, lower the interest rates (if that’s what actually happens) and give us bloody rewards we can use ie cash. And calculated and paid daily. I can’t wait for it to come here. If I was a bank in Australia that had a brain I would have been on the phone to Apple before the keynote was over.

  • Apple TV+ - lets be clear here. Streaming is the future as well as the now. If Apple brings new and exciting content good on them. As it grows I would hope this becomes a market leader. Netflix etc know the right thing to do is original content and Apple is throwing a lot into that. As they said, this service will be in over 100 countries so pretty much everyone will get this. It’s a great thing for the industry.

This event was not about hardware so I’m not sure why people were expecting hardware. Apple are damned if they do and don’t. They bring out hardware updates last week and people moan about it and they bring out new apps / content streaming this week and people moan about that.

1 Like
#12

Its not about doom and gloom, its actually about seeing whats there and that wasnt much except for the card. You want your news and TV spoonfed to you? Fine. I dont. Apple doesnt know what I like and I’ll be damned if I will pay for services I already get for free, or pay for already outside Apple. LOL! I never use Apple news anyway, just because its “curated”. GAHHHHHH.

#13

Actually, as I said at the start, I didn’t include the News stuff in the “good”. I don’t get my news via Apple.

#14

I watched the whole event live, it was one of the better presented keynotes they’ve put on lately. The celebrity appearances were good, but got a bit dull as they went on. The director video was wayyyyyy too long.

Also, an observation: did anyone notice Cook’s voice was a bit weird? Almost like he was getting over a sore throat or something.

News+: Not bad, but I’d like to see what is offered locally. Seems odd that it’s very limited at launch, and only a small number of markets initially following (AU and UK).

AppleCard: I could see myself using one of these, if/when there’s an Australian offering

TV App: The app changes blur the lines between the new offerings and TV+. Doesn’t excite me.

TV+: Meh, what was presented was too ambigious and really doesn’t describe what’s coming. I’m happy to be corrected but I don’t think at any point Apple directly said “we’re launching a streaming platform”. Plus they didn’t mention pricing.

2 Likes
#15

Me neither. I guess if you are into gaming its all good, b ut that doesnt interest me. The card does but thats where it ends.

#16

News+ would be good here if they got the papers on board. I wouldn’t get it for magazines - I can get them on my iPad for free with my library card.

Arcade looks good. They’ve hit on a great idea making it exclusives. And they’ve landed some big names.

I’m all good for TV. I’ll see what they’re charging though.

#17

I think the takeaway is that Apple sees its priorities differently to how most of us do -

  • new hardware (AirPods 2, iMac spec bump, new iPads) get released into the online store with minimal fanfare.
  • Services (that have ongoing subscription $ associated) get an event.
  • iPhone and iPad Pro (the real money making hardware) get an event.

Not much of what was announced today appeals to me terribly, but I’m not going to shit all over it either. Apple and I are just in different places right now.

2 Likes
#18
#19

given that AirPower was not mentioned, but rumours have been circulating about a March release, I wonder if it will get added to the Apple site by week’s end.

#20

It’s been telegraphed for some time that Apple is pivoting to a services company and this was definitely a services event. Economically it makes sense but as a spectacle can it attract the same attention?

We’ve been used to being wowed by the latest hardware and/or software. Something tangible to dissect. Apple announce a new streaming service, or a new news/magazine service, or a new credit card? Meh! Is this type of announcement really going to capture people’s imaginations in the future? Maybe I’m getting old and cynical, but I doubt it. Maybe it’s the end of the great Apple events of the past.

Oh, and it’ll be a cold day in hell before I put my money towards anything Goldman Sachs is involved in. For a company that’s supposed to have a social conscience that’s a pretty shitty move, Apple.

1 Like