Walt Mossberg discusses Apple’s lineup of new devices and his take on the company’s new services on CNBC:
They did what they had to do. They caught up and, for all I know once the reviews are out, maybe they went ahead a little, on the camera stuff which they [had] fallen behind Google on, a little bit. They certainly came on strong on that and spent a lot of time on that…
They came out with their two services [Apple TV+ and Apple Arcade] at a much lower price point that I think people thought they would. I think [the pricing] reflects the fact that they have enough money to do this. I think it reflects the fact that they don’t have a big back catalog… on the TV one… A ceiling has been set by Disney, which does have a big catalog, so $4.99 make sense and… for Apple, unlike a content company, a pure content company, these really are ways to sell more devices at to keep people in their ecosystem…
I am a consumer of Apple products… [On the new iPhones], I think I’m gonna wait and see what my friends, and most of them are my friends, who are the reviewers of these products say about, particularly, the cameras and the battery life. If the cameras are really sensational, not just for pros, there are a lot of things in there for serious pros… for average people, if the cameras are markedly, markedly better and the battery life claims hold up, I might consider an upgrade [from my current iPhone X].
Apple is trying to do what they think of it as being “early HBO,” so not many shows, not much quantity, but high quality. That’s what they’re trying to do and they’re spending a fortune on each of these shows reportedly and you can see the Spielbergs and the Reece Witherspoons and all of the famous people they have [lined up]…
I’m a big, huge fan of the Apple Watch and AirPods – I have several pairs of AirPods, which is a little crazy, but I do – I have an Apple Watch 4 and I’m thinking very seriously of upgrading [for the Always-On Retina display].
MacDailyNews Take: Obviously, we agree with Walt here:
Apple’s strategy is to make owning and upgrading iPhones, iPads, Macs, Apple TVs, Apple Watches, etc. as irresistible as possible. The more people with iPhones, iPads, Macs, Apple TVs, Apple Watches, etc., the more Apple services to which they subscribe. Apple TV+ is part of that strategy. — MacDailyNews, September 11, 2019
As for cameras, back in 2015 it was reported that Apple had 800 people working on iPhone cameras, yet Google still kicked their 800 asses, especially in low-light photography four years later (Night Sight). Granted, it’s not representative of reality, but when snapping a shot at night, we do prefer to see what’s there more than we prefer the “accuracy” of underexposed black soup.
So the question is: Why? 800+ people and four long years weren’t enough to figure out something like Night Sight, Apple? We don’t like to see Apple outclassed in anything, especially after throwing 800+ people at the iPhone camera hardware and software over a period of several years. — MacDailyNews, May 8, 2019
Those who can wrap their heads around Apple’s massive cash mountain and the company’s unparalleled ability to generate cash can clearly see who the winner will be. The most talented producers, writers, directors, editors, actors, etc. are attracted to exactly what Apple has and makes in vast abundance: Cash. The king.
Like bears to honey, it’s happening already. – MacDailyNews, January 3, 2018
Apple has the money required to catch up and even surpass all competitors very quickly and they can accomplish it without buying a studio or even production companies. — MacDailyNews, April 3, 2018
Finally, always-on! These new Apple Watch Series 5 models will sell like hotcakes. If you haven’t got yourself an Apple Watch yet, what are you waiting for? These are the ones you want! – MacDailyNews, September 10, 2019