Is a Product That's "Too Good" a Problem?
We tend to think not — probably because we're the ones buying it, not the ones making it.
This insight was thrown into sharp relief at Apple's announcement event on Tuesday, where the company unveiled 2 new iPad Pro models and 2 new iPad Air models. I watched the event and came away with 5 takeaways:
**1. Apple has a problem.**
Revenue from iPhone and iPad sales is declining — even as their popularity hits record highs.
The reason is simply that these devices are too good, and there isn't much runway left to convince customers to upgrade.
I watched the event on my iPad Pro 11 and enjoyed every minute of it.
Upgrading sounds fun — but what's wrong with what I already have?
**2. If you own an iPad, you have no reason to upgrade.**
Nearly all of the improvements in the new iPad are essentially meaningless.
The thinnest device in the world? Does a millimeter of thickness really make a difference?
A 50% boost in CPU performance is impressive by any measure — but the previous chip was already absurdly overpowered for the vast majority of users, so what exactly will we do with 50% more?
The new Apple Pencil may be useful for students or artists. For everyone else, there's probably not much to do with it.
**3. Apple makes a point of delivering one meaningful upgrade per new model.**
In my view, the only upgrade genuinely worth noting is the display panel.
Apple has finally caught up with the market by bringing OLED screens to the iPad — a significant step up in viewing quality, even though the previous displays were already a treat for the eyes.
True to form, Apple pulled a few engineering tricks to create a screen that's different, special, and distinctive enough to avoid being "just like everyone else's." I'll explain the technology behind this display next time.
Apple likes to ship one meaningful upgrade per model, while quietly planning the next one.
For instance — a camera system upgrade was long overdue this time around, yet not only did we not get one, the telephoto lens was removed entirely (the new model has a single lens instead of 2).
**4. If you don't own an iPad — drop everything and go buy one.**
As always, I watched the announcement event on my trusty iPad Pro 11, via the recording uploaded to Apple TV+.
The viewing experience was flawless, and it reminded me exactly why I enjoy this device so much.
The iPad combines exceptional reading and viewing comfort, compactness, an optimal screen size, high-quality and immersive audio and browsing — and in general, it simply does everything you'd expect of it, perfectly.
Buy an iPad. You won't regret it.
**5. Artificial intelligence is what Apple has been waiting for — without knowing it.**
Apple is frustrated by having missed the AI train.
It's doubly frustrated because it was the first to embed dedicated machine-learning processing cores in its devices.
The formidable capabilities of Apple's chips may prove to be a genuine asset in on-device AI applications, and I believe we'll be hearing a great deal more about this at the company's upcoming developer conference.