When Apple came out with the iPhone, it was the thing to have. A sexy, slim gadget with a shiny touch screen that literally put functionality at your fingertips. Now that almost everyone has an iPhone (or a competitor smartphone), Apple needs to make up for falling sales. But instead of rolling out a new device, the company is betting on subscriptions and services.
The problem is that titanium credit cards, online magazine bundles, digital games, or even the much-hyped Apple TV+ just don’t scintillate a person in the same way.
Although they may offer convenience, they’re not anything groundbreaking. After all, fancy credit cards, news apps, and streaming apps are all old news. That’s why, despite a star-studded cast, this week’s rollout of the new things in Apple-world fell flat. The glitz and awe of a new toy that seems like magic to the casual observer just wasn’t there — even if Oprah was.
Worse, the Apple pageantry seemed to be seriously lacking in substance. Instead of a demonstration of features or big screen graphics of updates, people talked and seemed to never quite get to the point. There were no trailers of new content for Apple TV+, no hint of pricing and, what details were there, weren’t promising. The credit card, for example, doesn’t offer much in terms of perks, and aside from a cool design, it’s hard to see why anyone would sign up for it over other cards with better cash back and sign-up bonuses.
In short, the event lacked the creativity and innovation that Apple has claimed for its brand. For Apple, that means that its subscription-based plan for the future isn’t going to fill the gap of dropping iPhone sales, and Apple still needs a new idea. Its plan for services are cute, but the future demands sexy.
