Last Updated on July 2, 2022 by srinivas
Welcome to our regular roundup of all the Apple news you missed this week, in a handy bite-sized summary. We call it Apple Breakfast because we love it with a cup of coffee or tea in the morning, but it’s also cool if you want to read it over lunch or dinner.
The brilliant, unrepeatable iPhone
The iPhone turned 15 this week and Apple fans around the world are reminiscing about their earliest memories of the device. (If you’re in the mood for nostalgia, check out our original review.) June 2007 feels like a lifetime ago. The world is a different place now, and a small part of it is thanks to the iPhone itself, a truly groundbreaking product.
Apple has also changed. What would once have been considered the Mac company has actually been the iPhone company for a long time, certainly in terms of revenue and user base. Whether it’s shifting millions and millions of handsets, scrapping app sales, or (as part of a sensible pivot now taking place) selling subscription services to wealthy iPhone owners, Apple would be lost without its miracle product.
The company, of course, tried to replicate the miracle, as did anyone who suddenly realized they could turn water into wine. For a while, some hoped that the iPad would surpass its predecessor; indeed it sold much faster than the iPhone in the beginning, it took just under a month to sell a million units while the iPhone took 74 days. But the comparison was deceptive and sales never reached anything like the same dizzying heights simply because tablets haven’t found a way to integrate themselves into our lives and wallets the way smartphones can.
The Apple Watch, when it launched a few years later, wasn’t in the same ballpark for sales or visibility, while the HomePod barely played the same sport. The AirPods have done well, but no one is going to upgrade their wireless earbuds every year — or pay a thousand dollars each time; customers could barely tolerate half of that, even for premium over-ears. And most importantly, don’t build your life around your headphones.
It sounds melodramatic — the stuff of bad cartoons shared on Facebook — but the iPhone can really be the hub of one’s daily existence. It wakes you up in the morning, guides you through your work schedule, keeps you in touch with loved ones, and amuses or torments you through social media. The iPhone is so compulsive, so ubiquitous, that even Apple started adding features to help you put it down. If the bookmaker doesn’t take your money anymore, you know you have a problem.
Once you understand the central role of the smartphone, it is no longer surprising that no other Apple product has been able to match the iPhone. The happiness or utility a product can provide is equal to its quality multiplied by the portion of one’s life it will occupy. You can release the greatest smartwatch in the history of the planet, but it’s still a smartwatch. How much better can it make your life?
The other factor is the surprise itself. Apple will never again be able to launch a product as surprising as the iPhone, because the fans expect something like this at every event. And in that respect, too, the leaks are a problem. When the AR headset arrives, chances are half of the public will already know the details of leaks, while the other will have raised impossible expectations and will complain bitterly if they aren’t delivered.
So it’s hard to see Apple releasing another device to match the iPhone’s impact anytime soon. By dominating our lives and setting expectations for each subsequent launch, the iPhone created a world where its success could not be repeated. It’s hard to see that as a failure.
And it’s not like the iPhone has gone anywhere. In fact, four new models are coming in a few months. Tell that to the people of 2007 and see who’s jealous of who.
Trending: Top Stories of the Week
15 years laterApple still thinks Samsung has “scammed” the iPhone.
iOS 16 brings just the right amount of Android to our iPhones, Jason Snell believes.
A teardown of the 13-inch M2 MacBook Pro confirms Apple’s lazy and ‘baffling’ design, while SSD speeds are very slow. Is there a reason this device exists?
Apple’s privacy is more important – and more uncertain – than ever, says de Macalope.
Roman Loyola explains how the M2 compares to all the others Apple silicone processor†
apples native apps should finally break free from iOS updates.
The rumor mill
get you wallet ready† Apple plans to launch as many as 20 new products this fall.
But before we get to that, we have the July launches. From iOS 16 to the M2 MacBook Airthere is much to look forward to.
Apple reportedly has a big iPhone roadblock after his 5G modem failed.
here’s how Bluetooth LE audio could bolster the next generation of AirPods.
Apple may have a huge change in store for the M2 chip†
Podcast of the week
This episode of the Macworld Podcast is all about your hottakes! You have thoughts about the MacBook Pro and USB-Cand we’ll respond to your thoughts on the show!
You can watch every episode of the Macworld Podcast on Spotify, Soundcloud, the Podcasts app or our own site.
And with that, we’re done for this week. If you’d like to receive regular round-ups, sign up for our newsletters. You can also follow us on Twitter for breaking news stories. See you next Saturday, enjoy your weekend and stay Appley.