Why Apple’s ‘exciting announcement week’ is better than an event

If you do something long enough, there is a risk that you will forget why you started doing it in the first place. And not realize that you have turned a once useful activity into a cargo cult ritual.

Take Apple’s special event. These used to be some of the most exciting events in the tech industry. Start with a groundbreaking product launch (iMac, iPhone, MacBook Air), add some Steve Jobs shine and fill the auditorium with a crowd so prone to screaming that they should be tested for whooping cough, and the result is, well, magical.

Why would you hold an event to announce your product if it costs money and is a huge inconvenience for everyone involved? Why not just send the devices directly to stores and spend the money on advertising? Because personal experience is unparalleled in terms of sharing the feeling of enthusiasm. Because seeing is believing. And since a one-time event forces people to plan their week around figuring out what you’re going to announce, advertising just makes them reach for the remote.

Apple still holds press events—one took place last month—but they’re very different these days. No one can do what Steve Jobs once did, but his role is played by a rotating cast who do their best to come close: Tim Cook as the host; Jony Ive (before he left) as a mystical evangelist; Craig Federighi as the lovable jokester. Few can match the founder’s brilliance, but none can match his stage presence, his ability to build anticipation and make an event unmissable.

On top of that, Apple has largely abandoned the idea of ​​hosting a live event. This policy began as a pragmatic response to COVID-19, but continued well beyond the point where it became medically useful as the company realized the secondary benefits. Pre-recorded events don’t carry the risk of product glitches (like Federighi’s failed introduction of Face ID in 2017), require less logistical organization, and allow presenters to run through more material in less time. But they also defeat the whole purpose of press events, which is to make the audience feel like they were part of the story, that they were there when something happened. happened. There’s a reason Rolling Stones tickets are $150 and Rolling Stones DVDs are $10.

Given all this, I can’t pretend to be particularly sad to learn that the rumored October event will instead be a week-long series of announcements, presumably in the form of one or three press releases. Many Apple meetings could take place via email; this one will really happen. And little, I suspect, will be lost.

I admit that issuing press releases instead of an event is not a very promising sign in the sense that Apple probably would have held the event if it thought the announcements would be important enough to warrant it. And for that reason, we shouldn’t expect anything to rival the original iMac or MacBook Air in terms of hype this week, despite Greg Joswiak’s optimistic choice of words. But did we expect this? And has the company allowed stupidity to stop it from hosting events in the past? The September event was a rather dull affair in the grand scheme of things, and I suspect habit rather than a sense of urgency led Apple to send out invitations for the occasion.

In fact, here at Macworld we’re expecting announcements this week that may not fit that “exciting” label, but should be important and useful. Apple has plenty of Macs to unveil, with versions of the iMac M4, MacBook Pro and Mac mini, the latter of which will likely feature a real physical redesign, something Mac fans haven’t seen in a while. The Mac mini is a key product in the Apple ecosystem, much like the iPhone SE and 10th generation iPad, but since it’s not a “pro” device, it will likely never get the attention it deserves.

This week (today, in fact) will also see the public launch of Apple Intelligence, which will arrive alongside the iOS 18.1 and macOS 15.1 updates. Whether it will be officially associated with Spectacular Week remains to be seen, but the joy of the week, unlike the event, is that you don’t have to limit the number of things you talk about, or even make up. consistent theme. Who knows, we might even get a press release about the much-needed 11th generation iPad… although I doubt it.

Ultimately, however, the main reason it is better than an event is that it is easier for journalists to cover. We don’t have to sit through a two-hour presentation, taking notes like a maniac, and then write them for six hours, focusing on pizza and vanilla rooibos. We can cover listings at a leisurely pace as they come in, giving each one the time and attention it deserves.

And if there’s anything more exciting than a relaxed work environment, I’d like to hear about it. Happy exciting week everyone.

Foundry

Welcome to our weekly Apple Breakfast column, which wraps up all the Apple news you missed last week in a handy little recap. We call it Apple Breakfast because we think it goes great with a cup of coffee or tea on a Monday morning, but it’s great if you want to read it during lunch or dinner, too.

Trending: top news

Apple confirms ” exciting week of Mac newsstarting today!

WITH iOS 18Loving your iPhone is a real chore.

Why “iPhone SE Plus” makes more sense than you think.

Apple Intelligence will finally fix the iPhone notification mess.

Revealed: How Apple creates your passwords.

A Day in the Life of CEO Tim Cook: The Hunt for Diet Mountain Dew.

Apple forces Jason Cross contact Google because Siri won’t do one simple thing.

Revealed: true cost iPhone 16.

The new iPad mini is only available boring because the next model will be amazing.

Podcast of the week

Apple is ready to release iOS 18.1and with it Apple Intelligence, Apple’s much-touted suite of artificial intelligence capabilities. In the latest episode of the Macworld podcast, we talk about what to expect from iOS 18.1 and how it will affect the way you use your iPhone. We can also see new M4 Macs.

You can watch every episode of the Macworld podcast on Spotify, Soundcloud, the Podcasts app, or on our own website.

Reviews Corner

Rumor Mill

Don’t be afraid, M4 Maki still coming “very soon.”

Apple is working on a new one App Store for games onlyreport complaints.

Apple’s early 2025 bonanza includes M4 MacBook AiriPhone SE, iPad Air, iPad 11th generation.

More RAM, more ports and sweet space black? The new MacBook Pro M4 may finally get it right.

Software updates, bugs and issues

Apple will finally fix the iPhone 16 hang/restart error with this week’s update.

iOS 18.2 beta available with many new Apple Intelligence features.

Apple updates firmware for older AirPods models 6F21.

That’s it for this week’s apple breakfast. If you would like to receive regular news updates, subscribe to our newsletter. You can also follow us on Facebook, Threads or Twitter to discuss the latest Apple news. See you next Monday and stay, Appley.