What happened to Apple!? Here's why iOS 18.2 is BROKEN!

Summary

This conversation delves into Apple's recent struggles with iOS 18, highlighting significant user experience issues, such as unresponsive calling functions and a malfunctioning photos app. While Apple's vertical integration strategy has long been a competitive advantage, the departure of key figures like Steve Jobs and Jony Ive has led to a decline in design sensibility and product quality. The discussion also touches on how Apple's focus on hardware and AI lags behind competitors like Google and Meta, as the company struggles to adapt to the changing tech landscape without the leadership and taste that once defined its innovation.

Takeaways

• 😀 Apple's vertical integration strategy—combining hardware and software—gives it a long-term competitive advantage that few can match.
• 😀 Despite hardware success, Apple's software quality, particularly in core apps like Photos and Phone, has suffered in recent years, leading to significant user frustrations.
• 😀 Users are experiencing major issues with basic functionalities like calling, as well as app crashes and other usability problems in iOS 18.
• 😀 The departure of key figures like Steve Jobs and Jony Ive has led to a decline in Apple's focus on user experience and ‘taste’ in product design.
• 😀 Apple's competitive edge in hardware and chips (like the M-series) remains strong, but the company is lagging behind in AI and software development.
• 😀 The company’s reliance on data over ‘taste’ for designing user experiences is leading to products that feel more disconnected from user needs.
• 😀 Apple’s user experience has become less polished, with core features like the Command Center and brightness adjustments no longer functioning intuitively.
• 😀 The lack of a strong ‘taste’ backstop, like Jobs provided, has resulted in unchecked flaws in the iPhone’s design and usability.
• 😀 Competitors in AI and software are increasingly challenging Apple’s dominance, as Apple fails to integrate the same AI-driven capabilities that its rivals are leveraging.
• 😀 Apple’s organizational structure and leadership vacuum post-Jobs has led to a decay in quality control, which is now becoming apparent in its products and customer experience.

Q & A

What is the main frustration the speaker has with Apple’s current software, specifically iOS 18?

The speaker is frustrated with several key issues in iOS 18, including the inability to make calls, frequent crashes of the Photos app, and general functionality problems, which make the iPhone less usable compared to previous versions.

What role does vertical integration play in Apple's strategy, and why is it important?

Vertical integration allows Apple to control both its hardware and software, ensuring a seamless and optimized user experience. This gives the company a competitive advantage because it can design products and interfaces that work perfectly together, making it difficult for competitors to replicate.

How does the speaker feel about Apple's shift towards AI in their product design?

The speaker feels that Apple's shift toward incorporating AI in product design has caused the company to prioritize technological advancements at the expense of user experience and design quality, leading to issues like the Photos app crashing.

Why does the speaker mention the loss of Steve Jobs and Jonathan Ive in the context of Apple’s decline?

The speaker suggests that the absence of Steve Jobs and Jonathan Ive, who were key in maintaining Apple's design philosophy and 'taste,' has contributed to a decline in the quality and functionality of Apple's products. Without their leadership, Apple has struggled to maintain the same level of design excellence.

What does the speaker mean by 'taste' in the context of Apple's product design?

'Taste' refers to a deep sense of design and user experience, which Steve Jobs and Jonathan Ive were known for. It involves a combination of aesthetic judgment and understanding how technology should function in a way that is intuitive and enjoyable for users. The speaker argues that Apple's products are now lacking this kind of thoughtful design.

How does the speaker compare Apple's leadership transition to the decay function of a sports team?

The speaker compares Apple's leadership transition to a sports team where, after a key figure like a coach (or in this case, Steve Jobs), the team's performance gradually declines. Initially, the company may perform well, but over time, the lack of visionary leadership leads to a steady decrease in quality.

What does the speaker suggest Apple is missing in terms of product testing and quality control?

The speaker suggests that Apple is missing a robust user acceptance testing (UAT) process that would catch major issues before they reach consumers. They argue that a more extensive testing phase with a broad distribution of users could help Apple identify and fix problems like those with the Photos app.

What example does the speaker give to illustrate Steve Jobs’s leadership style?

The speaker references a story about Steve Jobs’s reaction to the failure of MobileMe. Jobs demanded immediate changes, firing the responsible person and pushing for the service to function as promised. This illustrates Jobs's hands-on, demanding leadership style that prioritized perfection and accountability.

How does the speaker describe the current state of Apple's software in terms of usability?

The speaker describes Apple's software as significantly less usable, with specific complaints about core functions like making calls and the Command Center being inefficient. The iPhone is now seen as 10-30% less usable compared to previous models, largely due to issues with iOS 18.

What does the speaker think Apple’s biggest competitive advantages are in the tech industry?

Apple's biggest competitive advantages are its vertically integrated system, which allows for seamless integration of hardware and software, and its ability to design products that work flawlessly together. Additionally, Apple’s financial resources provide a long-term competitive edge in pursuing new technologies like AI and custom chips.