10 September 2015
Joshua Topolsky:
Mind you, this is not a new skill that Apple has acquired. In fact, some of the company’s biggest hits were simply a rethink or tweak of an old idea or two. The iPod wasn’t the first MP3 player, and Apple certainly didn’t create the first smartphone. The company also didn’t invent the first tablet, and when it introduced its new one this week, the main selling point was that Apple had enlarged an object that it had recently shrunk.
In the age of digital, execution is staggeringly important, and there isn’t a single company in existence that can pull off polish and simplicity like Apple. While other companies struggle just to get all of their devices and services talking to one another, Tim Cook and friends are worrying over the details that actually make consumers pay attention. The products don’t just work the way they should; they feel the way they should. Reducing friction, even a single click, can change the way a user perceives an entire product.
After another Apple announcement we are left with more of the same, and that’s a good thing. Iterations and alterations are all that are needed year in and year out from Apple who consistently delivers on experience. Sure, they provide new features every year but for the most part they are things you’ve seen elsewhere except without the polish you see from Apple.
The brand new Apple TV interface is more of the same with tweaks and polishes (and an App Store, finally). Just as the iPad was a bigger iPhone, the iPad Pro is, well, a bigger iPad.
What got me the most excited was the iPhone upgrade program. This program is still the same thing we’ve seen from carriers but direct to the customer from Apple, which depending on the consumer can make a big difference. Even though I’m still technically paying for my 6 plus, I’m going to be able to upgrade again this year and then every year after that.