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Change is good, mkay?
Incremental upgrades are Apple's secret sauce.
Steve Jobs once said: “I have a great respect for incremental improvement, and I've done that sort of thing in my life, but I've always been attracted to the more revolutionary changes. I don't know why. Because they're harder. They're much more stressful emotionally. And you usually go through a period where everybody tells you that you've completely failed.”
Jobs’ career was marked by revolutionary changes, from the first personal computer (the Apple II) to the Mac, iPod, iPhone and iPad.
And yet for all the revolutionary changes, Apple has also been masterful at incremental improvements.
Take the iMac, which traces its current flat-panel form factor all the way back to the iMac G5 in 2004 — 20 years ago!
In the last two decades years, Apple incrementally improved the iMac without radically changing its design.
Same goes for the Apple Watch Series 10, which is garnering favorable but not ecstatic reviews. Most early reviewers call Apple’s latest watch an incremental improvement rather than a revolutionary update.
The same applies to almost all of Apple’s maturing product lines, and we hear the same judgments time after time in reviews of the latest iPhones, iPads, AirPods, MacBooks and so on.
But that doesn’t mean the products are no good. The Apple Watch Series 10 sounds like a wonderful product, with a big, beautiful screen, a fast processor, tons of handy health features, and now a set of mini speakers that are actually decent when listening to music or phone calls.
Incremental or no, the Series 10 is a great Apple Watch.
Also in today’s newsletter:
If you are currently the proud owner of an iPhone 15 Pro, should you upgrade to the iPhone 16 Pro? Or perhaps you already did upgrade and want to validate your decision? Either way, check out our latest upgrade guide.
If you’re a sports fan, you might want to download the latest version of Apple’s Sports app, which handily puts the latest scores right on your iPhone’s Lock Screen.
Amazon already put Apple's iPhone 16 cases on sale. These come with a sapphire crystal overlay that works with the capacitive Camera Control on the new phones.
Portable laptop displays are increasingly becoming a thing, and this one sports a handy USB-C hub (to make up for the paucity of ports on your pricey MacBook Pro).
Can’t say I’m surprised or disappointed, but Apple TV+ already canceled the wretched Time Bandits series. (The original movie remains a gem.)
— Leander Kahney, EIC.
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Tweets of the day
Hiking is my favorite pastime, so I’m glad even more people will be able to experience the benefits of a walk in nature with our new hiking features in iOS18 with Apple Maps.
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook)
7:47 PM • Sep 16, 2024
iOS 18 finally lets you change your Lock Screen shortcuts.
And I’ve decided on camera and flashlight. 🤩
How about you?
— Adan (@durreadan01)
6:00 AM • Sep 17, 2024
i’ve had iOS 18 for months now and my home screen still looks like this despite the customisation options available
— Holly - I like tech (@AnxiousHolly)
2:43 PM • Sep 16, 2024
Wallpaper of the day
Space wallpaper, available in Thematica app.
— Vuk Andric (@vukandric)
1:58 PM • Sep 16, 2024
One more thing ...
Reality has an odd habit of catching up with satire.
Today’s poll
What's Apple's most impressive recent innovation? |
Results from yesterday’s poll: What are your favorite iOS 18 features?
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