Tencent Digital (Wen Xin) According to Cult of Mac, Thanksgiving Day is over. With the upcoming New Year, it is time to consider a question: Does Apple's performance in 2016 make people happy?
For Apple, this year is not an eye-catching year, but it is certainly not annoying. This year Apple released the new iPad Pro, a major upgrade to the iPhone 7, a better Apple Watch, and a MacBook Pro notebook with a Touch Bar and Touch ID.
But are these enough? Will Apple fans feel happy this year? Still did not leave any impression on people? Cult of Mac invited two senior media members to discuss this issue. The following are their very different views on this issue.
Luke Dormehl: 2016 is definitely an important year, but not much is comforting. Is Apple's performance gratifying? Frankly, I don't think so.
Please do not misunderstand: Apple did not fail this year, and its profitability is still quite high. By involving in the service business, Apple may overcome the problems caused by the iPhone sales slowdown. But is Apple an exciting company a few years ago? Many facts have shown that for Apple, it missed many opportunities this year and its performance was not outstanding.
For a long time, Apple's product line has been confusing and confusing. It seems to ignore the needs of its professional user base. Innovations such as Touch Bar on the new MacBook Pro are more like a gimmick rather than a leap. Apple's speed to remove the interface is comparable to its design giant Jony Ive who took gifts from the Christmas tree and Apple removed the MagSafe charging interface and other very useful interfaces.
Apple Watch has not yet reached its potential and has not persuaded a large number of users that smart watches are an indispensable technology product. Neither HomeKit nor Apple TV nor Apple Music can live up to Apple’s expectations of changing the world.
In a recently published book related to product design, Apple showed some areas it will explore: augmented reality, cars, and smart speakers similar to Amazon Echo.
As I said, this year is not a disastrous year for Apple, but it is not an encouraging year. Apple's performance this year is not worth being happy, but you may have different opinions.
Killian Bell: I think that for us, Apple sometimes seems boring, because we are concerned about Apple and its products every day. We have a deep understanding of it and Apple cannot surprise us. But this is not the case for most fans. Apple could not please all investors, but it did not lose consumers' favor.
Previously, we had debated whether Touch Bar is a gimmick. Only time can tell us the answer. But no matter what, we can't forget that the new MacBook Pro is Apple's fastest-selling professional-oriented computer, it can not meet everyone's needs, but it is still hot, which shows that for enough users, the new MacBook Pro good enough. What Apple products are really perfect?
Although not a necessity, the Apple Watch is the best-selling smartwatch on the market. Apple TV is never a necessity, and no home entertainment device is a necessity. In less than 18 months, Apple Music attracted more than 17 million paying users, making it the second-largest paid streaming music service after Spotify. For any other company, this is a great achievement.
We are all aware that in the not too distant future Apple needs to launch new products. However, Apple's performance was quite good given the slump in tablet PC and PC sales, the sluggish smartphone market, and smart watches, virtual reality, and smart car industries still in the early stages of development. Apple did not decline, it did not miss any opportunity.
I think this should make Apple fans happy. Although no major progress has been made, Apple is still struggling to overcome difficulties and has achieved some success. Apple certainly can't always do this. With the arrival of the 10th anniversary of the iPhone, Apple invested heavily in augmented reality and smart cars. I think that Apple's situation in 2017 will improve.
Luke: So the answer is lower expectations? No, this is completely absurd. With beautiful hardware and software, Apple has always been a company that provides a superior user experience. Can't use the mouse while charging, must connect Apple Pencil and charging interface of iPad Pro at the bottom of the charge, can be regarded as the outstanding experience?
How can you say that no home entertainment product is essential? Both Netflix and Amazon continue to issue original TV shows, which almost overturned the TV industry.
Other companies seem to be willing to take the risk that Apple is not willing to take: Amazon Echo is a new type of product that has grown rapidly; Microsoft has also launched some interesting products that combine desktop and mobile operating system experience.
You mean I expect too much. Why don't you list a list of the comforting products that Apple launched this year? Although Apple also introduced some new products, I think that this year is not an iconic year for Apple.
Kilian: My point is not to reduce expectations. But Apple is unlikely to launch a revolutionary new smartphone each year, or to launch a notebook that can meet the needs of all users. Apple is a good company, but it is not yet that good.
As I have pointed out, Apple products are not perfect. This is not a new problem. Although Apple developed into the current Big Mac during Steve Jobs's administration, it also made many mistakes, such as the 20th anniversary of the Mac, G4 Cube and iPod Photo.
Not every product launched by Apple can cause a sensation, not every year amazing products come out. Some rivals such as Amazon, Microsoft, and Google have indeed introduced some interesting products, but Apple is still far from being an "elegant." Apple still has enough time to fight back. I have no doubt about this.
As for Apple TV, I think it is easy to prove that no home entertainment products are essential. We do all the tasks with computers and smart phones, and now they have become a necessity in our lives. For many people, movies and television programs are not like this. Even without this $149 set-top box, people can watch movies and TV programs through many other channels.
I am gratified by Apple's many new products this year. For example, the iPhone is equipped with excellent stereo speakers, a better camera, and it is waterproof; Apple Watch has also added waterproof features.
I purchased three major items from Apple this year - iPad Pro, iPhone 7 and Apple Watch Series 2, as well as several accessories. The reason I buy these products is not that I need them, but that I like them. I haven't bought so many products from another company, although companies such as Microsoft appear to be more eye-catching this year.
You are right: This year is not an iconic year for Apple. But I would like to stress once again that for a company, not every year can become a landmark year.
Luke: Sure, every company will make mistakes, but I think Apple's direction has always been correct. Some of the products you mentioned above, such as the G4 Cube, are not beautiful, but they are beautiful products.
What disappoints me this year is that Apple did not launch a truly promising product. Both Apple TV and HomeKit have been promoted as "game changers," but in reality they have almost been forgotten. Apple seems to have given up its vision of previous years.
I am not prejudiced against Apple, but I am opposed to the idea that "as long as it is Apple, it is the best". In the past, I bought Apple products because they are the best in their class. I still think that many Apple products are still the best, but the gap between the opponents and it is constantly narrowing. I don't think that Apple has launched many products worthy of people's concern this day.
Kilian: Apple Pencil is a beautiful product, Magic Mouse is also. Apple does often launch products that are called "game changers," but ultimately do not qualify. But that doesn't mean that they are bad products.
Apple TV is not forgotten, but it is almost impossible to develop a set-top box that everyone can't live without. I haven't bought Apple TV for many years because the Netflix service is pre-installed on my TV. Apple doesn't own the copyright of the program I like to watch. So Apple TV is not necessary for me.
As for HomeKit, as far as you know, how many people have realized smart home? Some people may own 1 or 2 smart appliances, but before all home devices are smart, an intelligent platform that controls all devices is not required. I don't think anyone expects HomeKit to be successful in the short term.
Wonderful video recommendations
Source: Cult of Mac
Swing Radiator,Power Transformer Swing Radiator,Swing Type Radiator,Distribution Transformer Swing Radiator
Shenyang Tiantong Electricity Co., Ltd. , https://www.ttradiator.com