With the rumors of iOS 19 and its huge change design, but above all with the failure of the conversational Siri, the time has come for us to sit down for a few minutes to think about the direction that Apple is taking and, above all, to focus on all those things that made the brand special, and of which not even the shadows remain.
Apple is no longer special, makes good devices, but has left the software to its own devices, which has harmed the user experience.
Software as a cornerstone of Apple's philosophy
What we can call "Apple philosophy" is what Steve Jobs knew how to define well in a single sentence: «Design is not just how it looks. It's how it works.»
In this way, the legendary CEO of Apple always had it clear that excellence was inside, as well as outside. His discussions about the Lisa or the first Macintosh were legendary, in which he fought to make the user experience better and better, regardless of the processor or RAM they had to put inside.
Apple focused on creating a seamless user experience, ensuring that no interaction with its devices generated discomfort for the customer. This cost money, and also meant that many potential customers did not identify with the brand philosophy that Apple sought to convey.
However, with the arrival of Tim Cook to the leadership of Apple, everything changed. Since then, MacBooks have successively gained ports, the iPhone has more buttons than ever, the iPad has grown a keyboard and mouse, and the Apple TV remote has regressed.
The Apple of old was an Apple that prioritized software over everything else. The iPhone didn't have the best camera, the MacBook didn't have the best processor, and the AirPods didn't have the most refined sound, but it was the combination of different software that made the user tremendously satisfied with their purchase, so... what happened?
History of successes and failures
Tim Cook's successes are quite clear, the devices launched under his leadership have probably been the most successful in the company's history. However, We have numerous failures, and it seems that they all end up pointing to software or digital services alike.
On the one hand, Apple News remains a niche app, off-limits to the vast majority of Apple users. But that's the least of it, The truth is that iOS is in a range of optimization and operation that, those of us who have been in this for many years, can only compare to that infamous summer of 2013, when I was testing (suffering) the first beta of iOS 7, the beginning of the end.
On the other hand, iPadOS keeps promising to be something that nobody understands. They pretend to separate it from iOS, when nothing is different from it. The iPad Operating System is not halfway between macOS and iOS, they could call it iOS without any shame, In fact, no one would notice.
The Settings app is continually redesigned every six months. There is nothing left of the familiar, intuitive Apple, this amalgam of configurations, most of them useless or symbolic, have made using iOS essentially like using Android.
The iPhone is no longer fast at taking photos, the Notes app makes us lose ourselves in a sea of features, and finding basic settings in “Health” takes a long time to navigate.
In short, what is left of the Apple that sought simplicity and efficiency? Absolutely nothing.
One step behind in innovation
«Stay hungry, stay foolish», as good old Steve Jobs used to say. Apple doesn't care about that anymore, it just needs to balance the bottom line. Artificial Intelligence is already present in most of the devices that represent Apple's competition, however, the Cupertino company has just announced something that we already imagined, Siri is far from offering the slightest bit of intelligence, whether artificial or natural.
It won't be until 2026 that we'll see a conversational Siri. We're talking about the same company that once popularized virtual assistants. We're not even going to mention CarPlay 2, which makes me angry.
At what point did Apple go from being the spearhead of software innovation to being a mere mediocre player? I couldn't say, but Tim Cook should thank Donald Trump for launching a boycott campaign against Huawei in 2019, Otherwise I'm sure Apple wouldn't be the company it is today.
iOS 19, design as a major draw
Design, really? It seems that someone believes that design is what iOS, iPadOS or macOS users are currently concerned about. It is clear that the main media that cover Apple news will echo, and loudly, the new features that iOS 19 will offer to all users. But I will tell you something in advance, If all they have to offer is a design change, without a single mention of optimization, performance or process simplification, it is a good time to familiarize ourselves with other brands.
We are talking about a company that has spent three years failing to resolve problems with the graphics of the notification boxes on the Lock Screen, something that is now irrelevant, but that Steve Jobs would not have tolerated.
Meanwhile We live with the empty promise of an Apple Intelligence in its infancy and a conversational Siri that is not even in its infancy. Congratulations Tim, you will go down in history as the best CEO in Apple's history. I'd rather be a pirate than join the navy.