Updated October 28th: The first of Apple’s three announcements is the arrival of the M4 iMac and Apple Intelligence.
When you do something long enough, you run the risk of forgetting why you started it in the first place. And they don’t realize that a once-convenient activity has turned into a cargo cult ritual.
Join us for special events from Apple. These were once some of the most shocking experiences in the tech industry. It starts with breakthrough product launches (iMac, iPhone, MacBook Air), interspersed with Steve Jobs’s extravaganza, and packed auditoriums with crowds that require whooping cough tests. The results are, well, magical. .
Why hold a product launch event when events cost money and cause a lot of inconvenience to everyone involved? Why not ship your device directly to a store and spend that money on advertising? Because there’s nothing like a person-to-person experience when it comes to sharing enthusiasm. Because to see is to believe. And with one-off events, people plan their week around knowing what they’re going to announce, but advertising is just a reach away for the remote control.
Apple still holds press events, including one last month, but these days things look very different. No one can do what Steve Jobs once did, but his role will be filled by a rotating cast who will do their best to come close. Jony Ive (until he left) as a mysterious evangelist. A likeable gag man played by Craig Federighi. While some can match the founder’s sophistication, no one can match his stagecraft, his ability to build anticipation and make an event not to be missed.
In addition to this, Apple has all but given up on the idea of live events. This policy began as a pragmatic response to COVID-19, but has been continued far beyond the point where it is medically useful as the company recognized secondary benefits. There is. Pre-recorded events have no risk of product malfunctions (such as Federighi’s unfortunate experience when introducing Face ID in 2017), require less logistical organization, and presenters can spend less time You can read through a large amount of material at a glance. But they also remove the very purpose of press events, which is to make the audience feel part of history and feel like they were there when something happened. happened. There’s a reason a Rolling Stones ticket costs $150 and a Rolling Stones DVD costs $10.
With all this in mind, we can’t pretend to be particularly sad to learn that the rumored October event will turn into a week-long series of announcements, perhaps with a press release or three. Many of Apple’s meetings may have taken place via email. This actually happens. And I don’t think there’s much to lose.
I’ll admit that doing a press release instead of an event is not a very promising sign. If Apple thinks the announcement will be significant enough to warrant it, it will likely hold an event. So despite Greg Jozwiak’s optimistic choice of words, we shouldn’t expect any excitement this week to match the original iMac or MacBook Air. But were we expecting that in the first place? Also, has the company canceled events in the past due to insensitivity? September’s event was pretty boring in the grand scheme of things, and my suspicion is that Apple sent out invitations on that occasion more out of habit than urgency.
In fact, here at Macworld, we have some important and worthwhile announcements coming up this week that may not live up to that “exciting” tag. Apple introduces a number of Macs, including the M4 version of the iMac, the MacBook Pro, and the Mac mini. The Mac mini is likely to receive an actual physical redesign, something Mac fans haven’t seen in a while. The Mac mini is an important product in Apple’s ecosystem, along with the iPhone SE and the 10th generation iPad, but it’s not a “pro” device and will probably never reach its full potential.
This week (actually today) also marks the general availability of Apple Intelligence, which comes with the iOS 18.1 and macOS 15.1 updates. I don’t know yet if it will officially tie in with Exciting Week, but the fun part of the week, as opposed to an event, is that you don’t have to limit the number of things you say or come up with ideas. A consistent theme. Maybe we’ll see a press release about the long-awaited 11th generation iPad…though I rather doubt it.
But at the end of the day, the main reason this is better than an event is that it’s easier for journalists to cover. There’s no need to sit through a 2-hour presentation like a madman, taking notes, and spending 6 hours writing up notes while mainlining pizza and vanilla rooibos. As each presentation comes in, you can cover it at a slower pace so that you can give each presentation plenty of time and attention.
And if there’s anything more exciting than gentle working conditions, we’d love to hear about it. Have a fun and exciting week everyone!
foundry
Welcome to the weekly Apple Breakfast column. This column brings together all the Apple news you missed last week in a convenient bite-size format. We call it Apple Breakfast because we think it’s perfect for your Monday morning coffee or tea, but it’s also great if you want to read over lunch or dinner.
Trending: Top articles
Apple says “ An “exciting week” in Mac Newsstarting today!
and iOS18It’s really hard to love your iPhone.
why “iPhone SE Plus” It makes more sense than you think.
apple intelligence We’re finally going to fix the iPhone notification mess.
Revealed: What Apple is doing create a password.
A day in the life of CEO Tim Cook: diet mountain dew.
Apple is forcing Jason Cross to: rely on google Because Siri doesn’t do this simple thing.
Revealed: real cost iPhone16.
The new iPad mini is boring Because the next model will be great.
This week’s podcast
Apple is gearing up for release iOS18.1and it comes with Apple Intelligence, Apple’s much-touted AI feature set. In the latest episode of the Macworld Podcast, we talk about what you can expect from iOS 18.1 and how it will impact the way you use your iPhone. we may also see New M4 Mac.
All episodes of Macworld Podcast are available on Spotify, Soundcloud, the Podcasts app, or on our site.
review corner
rumor mill
do not be afraid. M4 Mac It’s still coming “soon”.
Apple is working on something new App Store dedicated to gamesreport a complaint.
Apple’s big wins in early 2025 include: M4 MacBook AiriPhone SE, iPad Air, 11th generation iPad.
More RAM, more ports, sweet space black?The new M4 MacBook Pro might finally get everything right.
Software updates, bugs and issues
Apple finally repairs iPhone 16 Freeze/restart bug In this week’s update.
iOS 18.2 Beta is available with many new Apple Intelligence features.
Apple updates firmware for versions of older AirPods models 6F21.
That’s it for this week’s Apple Breakfast. If you would like regular round-ups, sign up for our newsletter. Facebook, Threads, or Twitter For discussion of Apple’s latest news articles. See you next Monday. Please stay Applely.
