Has Apple Lost Its Mojo?

I like Apple. I want to make that clear upfront. Aside from an iPod back in the 2000s, I’ve never used any other Apple devices, but I still admire what the company creates. So, this isn’t coming from an Apple hater but from someone who’s been writing about technology for a long time and is often amazed by Apple’s impressive products.

• If you want to buy now: How to pre-order the new iPhones today

Here I am, just days after the iPhone 16 presentation and right before the new models hit the shelves. I’m still processing what I saw during the September 9 livestream. Apple events from Cupertino usually spark varying levels of excitement, but this time felt different. I’d like to share my thoughts with you and hear what you think. Let’s dive in!

The New iPhone 16 (Pro) Hardware

I was somewhat ambivalent about the presentation of the new iPhones. There were some cool new features for the various devices. However, there were also a few points that I couldn't comprehend.

First of all, Apple equipped all models with the new "Camera Control". I could have sworn in advance that Apple would only include the button in the Pro models and follow suit with the basic devices next year. This means buyers of the iPhone 16 (Plus) will be able to enjoy two new controls compared to last year, as the Action Button is now also available.

There was also a leap in the processor for the basic models, an improved camera, supposedly better battery life, and of course, the announcement of Apple Intelligence. Sounds like a solid update, doesn't it? Yes, it actually does, but somehow it just doesn't feel as well-rounded the more I think about it.

Is it really okay to offer a smartphone in 2024 that has only 128 GB of memory for $799 (or even $899 for the Plus) with only a 60 Hz refresh rate? Companies like Xiaomi offer smartphones for less than $300 that can do far better. Sure, I understand that Apple would rather sell more Pro models and therefore has to differentiate the two product lines a little. But seriously, 60 Hz? Come on, Apple!

Why am I packing a powerful A18 chipset into a device that allows me to play the coolest games, which is then shown in a buttery smooth manner like a flipbook? Just how many great high-resolution videos can I film before the 128 GB memory is maxed out?

Since we just talked about how the basic and Pro models differ from each other: For the first time in years, the RAM count is identical across all four models at 8 GB. Camera Control as I already mentioned, is also available for all four devices, and Wi-Fi 7 is also supported by all four smartphones.

Based on their lineup, I don't quite get the message Apple is trying to send. How does Apple decide which components and functions make the difference? Even if this is probably not important for your purchase decision: Why is Apple still stuck with Bluetooth 5.3 since the iPhone 14 Pro? Oh, and what about USB?

Why are we still relying on the 24-year-old USB 2.0 for the basic models and USB 3 only for the Pro? Is this really the right point at which to draw the line between standard and Pro, Apple? I'll leave the question open-ended here, but there are at least some initial voices suggesting buyers are still finding it difficult to buy the new Pro models, at least right now.

One more word about Camera Control, which perhaps is aimed more at you who regularly take photos with the iPhone and are excited for this new trackpad-like control element: Will the operation be dramatically improved if I adjusted the settings there instead of on the display? To be honest, I don't quite see the point—yet.

This is especially so as I've seen various hands-on videos in which people quietly criticize the somewhat unfortunate placement of the button in both portrait and landscape orientation.

Apple Intelligence is Rolling Out… in Stages

Now we come to the giant AI elephant in the room: Yes, Apple Intelligence is coming. It's arriving later, it's only headed for the US at the moment, and it's coming bit by bit, but it's coming. Apple spent quite a lot of time at the launch event explaining the AI functions to the audience.

That's okay because regardless of all the hardware changes, Apple Intelligence is undoubtedly the most exciting thing Apple pulled out of its hat this year.

For all non-Americans, however, it is a bit of a downer: Nope, Apple Intelligence won't be on your brand-new smartphone this year if you don't live in the USA. Apple Intelligence won't even be launched in the USA right away, but as we all know, will only be available with iOS 18.1. Even then, it is a beta version and only with a few features.

That's where we'll see Apple Intelligence with the Writing Tools, for instance, or the clean-up function for your photos. However, most of the other extensively advertised features will arrive with later updates and therefore, will not be available in the USA until the end of the year at the earliest with some of them arriving next year. This also applies to Siri, by the way. Yes, Siri is getting a fancy new look, but Siri won't learn all these AI tricks until a later update.

• While we're on the subject: Unfortunately, these functions won't arrive on your iPhone with iOS 18

At least something is happening in the United States. Apple confirmed at the event that other English-speaking Apple fans can expect Apple Intelligence at least by the end of the year, such as the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. Other languages such as French, Spanish, Chinese, and Japanese were announced for 2025. Only has Apple now followed up and promised us support for the German language in the coming year.

This is stupid because it means that we may have to wait another year for these additional languages. What's even sillier is we have no guarantee that the French, Spanish, and German versions will be available in France, Spain, and Germany. As is so often the case with Apple Intelligence, Apple is once again messing with the EU and so there is a possibility that these languages will be supported, but only in countries that speak these languages outside the EU.

I was incredibly euphoric about Apple Intelligence at WWDC. This was because it seemed so well-thought-out, with so much focus on privacy. A few months later, I have a different view of this most important feature. It's arriving too late, it's arriving as a beta, it's coming to the iPhone bit by bit, and it's only headed for certain iPhone users.

A Look at the Apple Event: What's Going On, Apple?

Yes, you can tell: I've just talked myself into a really bad mood. Just the right time to take another look at the iPhone event as a whole. What do we have so far? An iPhone 16 with a bang-average update that still left me with more questions than answers, and Apple Intelligence with all its criticisms and unanswered questions.

Once I'm in a complaining mood, I keep on complaining: Why am I being shown the AirPods Max, which are at the same technical level as its predecessor from four years ago and whose only update is a USB port and fancy new colors?

When Tim Cook talked up so many new products and then presented me with a pair of ancient headphones including an ancient, technically outdated H1 chip, I felt like I'm being taken for a ride, to put it mildly. Don't forget: These beasts still cost a whopping $549! Even the cheapest new AirPods, the AirPods 4 without ANC for $129, feature a better chip than this 'premium' product.

Incidentally, the battery life of the AirPods 4 has deteriorated noticeably. Of course, Apple did not communicate this at the event, nor the fact that the cable has been omitted from the packaging for the very first time.

Yes, Apple has always been not only the king of product announcements, but also unbeatable when it comes to information omitted to be on the safe side. Oh, speaking of omission: Did you notice how the hated fine-woven covers no longer exist, right?

Anyway, the complaint train rambles along. Apple also showed off its new watches, with the Apple Watch 10 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2. It's once again thrusting another old trick on us. In other words, although we are being shown a brand-new Apple smartwatch, the flagship has barely improved.

This irritated me for several reasons: First, I find it to be rather cringeworthy that we are reminded of the great functions of the Apple Watch Ultra for over six minutes before it claims: “Aww, not a new model, but here, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 (review) is now also available in black and with a new wristband.”

I think that's outrageous in terms of marketing, but there's another point that bothered me even more: the Apple Watch Ultra didn't get its name for fun! For me, “Ultra” means something like this: You get everything here that you already know and love about our product—and we're adding something on top and making it even better!

That's where we are at now with an “old” Ultra Watch and a regular Watch 10, which has the brighter, better, bigger display and the newer processor. That's not how it works, Apple!

To be honest, I would rather not say much more about the whole event, but this whole “significant updates across the entire lineup” attitude really got on my nerves. No, Apple, a new color and a USB port with a new wristband are not significant updates! Yes, you've got to be on the ball in the keynote, you want to wow us and throw superlatives around, but you really don't have to bullshit us in the hope that we won't understand what's going on.

Has Apple Lost Its Spark?

… and that brings me to the last point: Has Apple possibly lost its luster and magic, or even its mojo? What makes Apple different from any other smartphone or tech company out there today? Yes, I really don't think anyone who buys a new iPhone, Watch, or AirPods is getting a poor or even average product. It's still the finest premium product coming out of Cupertino.

However, its competitors have been building such premium products for a long time. I just don't understand where Apple is going. I like the presentations, but this time I sat in front of them feeling rather perplexed. Furthermore, I don't understand certain hardware decisions, I don't understand the communication and the way it's presented anymore, and I surely don't understand what's going on with Apple Intelligence.

Apple has always been a promise: the best products, the most intuitive experience, and flawless presentation. With every new release, the software and hardware work seamlessly together. But now, I’m looking at a mess.

The most important new feature won’t arrive until a month later, and even then, it will only be in beta and limited to the USA. Many people are disappointed, and that’s the key issue here—this isn’t just my opinion as someone who doesn’t even use Apple products; it's the reaction from loyal users.

Instead, it's about my observations. Of course, anecdotal evidence often does not do much good. Nevertheless, I've come across so many articles and videos from people who love Apple and yet were simply underwhelmed by what Apple presented on September 9th. The “special” magic is gone, at least for me at the moment. Right now, I look at Apple and see just another tech company instead of the tech wonderland I used to ogle and drool over.

Is Apple being pushed so hard by companies like OpenAI and Google when it comes to AI that Apple couldn't help but present a half-baked product? Is this whole AI issue so important to Apple that other products in other sectors were neglected?

This is where you come in. Am I just making a mountain out of a molehill here and taking a far too negative view of the matter? You are welcome to tell me what you think in the comments, but please don't forget: Be nice! I'm not an Apple fanboy, but I'm certainly not a hater, either.