It doesn’t matter what Apple product you had been fortunate sufficient to get this vacation, you will be assured of three issues: It will “simply work” out of the field. It will do precisely what you need it to do. And it will final so long as you want it to.
That’s the not-so-secret secret to Apple’s success. Apple may promote extra gadgets than ever, however it’s by no means going to be like like Google or Amazon and blanket the panorama with merchandise, so those it makes are constructed to make an on the spot influence. As a substitute of cramming as many options as attainable into the newest iPhone, for instance, Apple selected the options that can matter most, even when it means lagging behind its rivals with issues like tremendous zoom and 120Hz shows.
It is all a part of Apple’s philosophy: a thousand nos for each sure. It’s why we hear about merchandise for years earlier than they launch and why options typically arrive late to the get together. It’s additionally why dangerous merchandise, such because the MagSafe Duo Charger, are so shocking. Because the iPod launched in 2001, you’ll be able to rely on one hand the variety of Apple merchandise that flopped—and also you most likely wouldn’t want your entire fingers.
So when a pair of $549 headphones come alongside every week earlier than Christmas in the course of a pandemic, they’re immediately backordered till March earlier than anybody has an opportunity to even see a pair in particular person, not to mention hear them. You may roll your eyes, however the reality of the matter is Apple has earned a number of belief. Its monitor document through the years is such {that a} new product with an exorbitant price ticket sells out earlier than it even reaches cabinets.
Granted, most individuals received’t fork over $549 for a pair of headphones, however these folks weren’t keen to shell out $600 for the primary iPhone, both. Or $399 for the unique iPod. However huge gross sales are by no means Apple’s motivation for launching a brand new product. Somewhat, it’s about making one thing that fills a void we didn’t know was there and fixing issues we didn’t notice existed. Apple philosophy of “no” means it will not ship a brand new product except it will possibly match or surpass its friends, even when it comes at a a lot greater worth.
Identical to the unique iPhone and iPod, the AirPods Max received’t be overpriced eternally. However its inevitable affordability received’t deliver a discount in what makes them value $549. It’s not the selection of supplies or the comfiness of the headscarf that makes the AirPods Max value $549 for thus many individuals. It is the belief that they are going to ship an expertise in contrast to something you will get with the equally specced Sony XM4 or the Bose 700 headphones.
Apple’s technique is not about reinventing the wheel. It is about discovering a stability between what we wish and what we’d like in a product that feels each acquainted and new. I am fairly sure there are AirPods Max prototypes at Apple Park that might have been cheaper or arrived earlier, however that is by no means been Apple’s goal. It is about delivering the absolute best product within the easiest bundle.
The expertise is the distinction
You do not have to look exhausting to see how Apple’s philosophy of “no” pays off. The unique $399 iPod was written off as an overpriced vainness venture, and it took years earlier than folks realized how impactful it was. Earlier than very lengthy, there have been iPods that value $249, then $99, and inevitably a slew of imitators.
However no imitator might replicate the iPod’s success. Microsoft famously tried with the Zune participant, however regardless of a glance that was extraordinarily harking back to the iPod, it by no means panned out. You would argue that Microsoft was late to the get together, however that does not fairly clarify issues. It isn’t simply dangerous designs that Apple rejects, it is also dangerous consumer expertise, all the way down to delicate issues that the majority corporations barely even discover.
The underside line is the Zune participant did not ship the seamless expertise that the iPod did. The iPod’s drag-and-drop simplicity was a big a part of its enchantment and it doubtless would not have succeeded with out it. The identical goes for the iPhone’s multi-touch consumer interface. Apple’s worth tags could also be excessive, however so are the expectation it brings for not simply the design but in addition the convenience of use. Few corporations can ship an expertise a seamless and pleasant as Apple can, and thousands and thousands of persons are keen to pay just a little additional to get it.
Or within the case of the AirPods Max, quite a bit additional. Name it the Apple Tax for those who should, however the price ticket of Apple’s newest headphones, very like the AirPods Professional, aren’t excessive for the sake of being excessive. From lightning-fast pairing to spatial audio and fast auto switching between gadgets, the AirPods Max ship an expertise that is mainly unsurpassed in high-end Bluetooth over-ear headphones, and that is earlier than you even hear them.
The final word driving machine
That philosophy of “no” might quickly play an enormous position in what could possibly be the most important threat Apple has ever taken. Rumors have lately cropped up in regards to the growth of an Apple automotive, a enterprise that might require a a lot larger leap of religion than a pair of headphones. I am nonetheless not satisfied we’ll ever see an Apple emblem on the entrance of a automotive, however for the sake of this argument, let’s assume it will occur.
It would sound like a loopy leap from headphones to a automotive, however the identical philosophy that delivered the AirPods Max might deliver an Apple automotive that exceeds expectations of what we anticipate a automotive to be. Very similar to the AirPods Max, an Apple Automotive could possibly be a seamless extension of the Apple ecosystem, bridging your private home and cell lives in a manner CarPlay cannot.
Granted, a $60,000 automotive is a little more of an funding than something Apple has ever made (maxed-out Mac Execs however), however the identical consideration to element and expertise that made the AirPods Max an on the spot sellout might make an Apple automotive successful as nicely. Very similar to the AirPods Max expertise is its greatest function, the ache level now we have with vehicles normally has much less to do with the driving expertise and extra to do with the console. By saying no to lots of the compromises we have to make with vehicles, Apple might ship a driving expertise in contrast to something we have beforehand skilled.
And all it will take are an entire lot of no’s to get there.