There are 2 events each year (sometimes 3) that we get a glimpse at how Apple sees the world. There is the annual iPhone event in the fall and the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) keynote. This year’s WWDC was an eye opener. Not for any particular announcement but for the direction it sets.
Here are the things I learned…
The Mac Pro Is Dead
The keynote announced a host of new iMac upgrades. Fast processes, better GPUs, and more memory to name a few. The biggest announcement was the launch of the iMac Pro.
This is an absolute beast of a machine.
Up to 18 cores, 128GB of RAM, 16GB of of memory on the Vega GPU, and other components all add up to the faster Mac ever. Yes, the fastest Mac ever.
The high end iMac Pro is obviously targeted at “Pro” workloads but also VR. An area where Apple has been lagging. All of that adds up to a major loss for the Mac Pro.
More accurately, it’s the death knell. As expected, we’ve lost the Mac Pro.
The MacBook Pro 2016 Wasn’t Ready
Not 6 months after their initial release, the 2016 MacBook Pro’s get a refresh. The only real change is new CPUs based on the modern Kaby Lake core. To me, this shows taht the 2016 MBPs simply weren’t ready. They were pushed out to satisfy an anxious customer base.
It’s been a while since Apple has made a move like that. Very little was said around the refresh other than a quick note on price.
As an owner of the 2016 MBP, I’m not a happy camper. If it wasn’t ready — and given the problems I’ve had with it, that’s obvious — they should’ve waited until now to release them.
iPad Productivity Needs macOS Power
iOS 11 will bring a number of feature improvements targeted solely at the iPad Pro. Ironically, most of these have been pulled directly from macOS.
Drag and drop, Files.app, and the Dock are tacit acknowledgements that the iPad Pro needs some desktop firepower to become productive. The good news is that Apple made those changes, spun them into “major advancements”, and we’ll all be better off.
AR Will Be Huge
Apple announced the new ARKit for developers. As with the other “Kit” series of developer APIs, this toolset reduces the friction for developers to tackle new technologies. The demo in the keynote was impressive.
Now think about all of the iOS 11 capable devices out there and you’ve got a massive market opportunity.
Compare this to VR (virtual reality) where you need a dedicated headset, controllers, and have a very limited number of VR-capable devices deployed and you start to grasp why Apple is focusing here.
AR is short term. VR is long term. AR is greenfield, VR is already a busy and competitive landscape.
Smart move by Apple.
Apple Is Doubling Down on Apple Music
To no one’s surprise, Apple announced the HomePod smart speaker. Priced at $349 USD, this one is firmly targeted at Apple Music users. In fact, 95% of the announcement was about how great it sounds and how seamless a music listening experience it is.
Amazon already have a massive head start with the Echo and Apple’s message today was that they aren’t going to compete in the same space. They’re going after the audiophile, attempting to shore up their Apple Music base.
An interesting move and probably one they’re going to regret.
More To Come
WWDC is just kicking off. We’re going to see more details of specific features over the next few days. That should provide some much needed insight into privacy and security features as well as the capabilities of the new APIs in macOS High Sierra, watchOS 4, and iOS 11.
What did you think of the keynote?
