After Apple’s “It’s glowtime” show with the new iPhones, it’s time to take stock of the rumors: how well did the scene perform in its predictions? Really great: much of what well-known analysts and journalists such as Ming-Chi Kuo (TF International Securities) or Mark Gurman (Bloomberg), as well as reliable Twitter leakers, had already revealed, turned out to be correct. And that also means that Apple has disappointed some hopes.
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AirPods Max with USB-C: It couldn’t be simpler
Let’s take the new AirPods Max for example: of course it’s good that after almost four years Apple is finally upgrading the popular and expensive over-ears. But the company couldn’t have tried a little less: the only two innovations are the long-awaited USB-C port (instead of Lightning), which is legally required in the EU, and new (albeit very nice to look at) colors.
At 579 euros the headphones are not a cheap deal. How much would it cost Apple to integrate the current H2 chip, which includes improved noise cancellation, voice isolation, gesture control and much more, which has been available in the AirPods Pro 2 for two years? Definitely not much. Despite the long wait, the company did not do it. That it is still there No lossless playback With the AirPods Max: You might not even want to mention it.
No new Apple Watch SE and no Ultra 3
There was a last minute rumor about the Apple Watch SE: Bloomberg’s man Gurman announced shortly before the keynote that the new model with a plastic coating instead of aluminum, which had been mentioned in the rumor mill for weeks, would not appear initially. The only innovation with the SE is a new color: a blue-black matte tone called “Midnight” is now sold, otherwise nothing changes inside or out.
The last disappointment, which was already announced, concerns the Apple Watch Ultra: Apple is stopping completely with a new model this year, only giving the old Ultra 2 a new titanium color with the simple name “Black” from 2023. Even an attractive “Milanais bracelet titanium” does not give rest to fans of sports and adventure watches who were hoping for a real upgrade.
(B.Sc.)
