iPhones XS and Apple Watch Series 4 — Quick Thoughts

I was hopeful for new iPads at this event but given how big of an impression the Apple Watch Series 4 made on me, I’m not feeling let down. I will, however, complain about the prices because I consider them to be absurd. Not by much but nevertheless… absurd.

iPhones XS

I’m happy that Apple has given them feature parity and that the only hardware difference between the two is their size.

I’m not a fan of the names — both “XS” and “Max” are just bad. I’m also very curious about what will happen next year. iPhone XS2? XS II perhaps?

I keep on saying “Ex-Es” in my head. Apple has broken my ability to properly pronounce things.

I personally think 999 USD is too expensive for the XS and 1099 USD for the XS Max is overkill. Please note that this is around 1360 USD and 1500 USD respectively in Poland (the EU has similar prices with a slight variation depending on VAT). Had they brought the price down to 899 and 999, I would have had more respect for Apple.

If Apple wants to keep that high price, I would at the very least expect a wired headphone dongle in the box, a fast charger (12W or more), and a USB-C to Lightning cable in addition to the included one. These three accessories, which I need and use, cost an additional 47 USD on top of the 999 USD base price. Alternatively, a pair of AirPods with the iPhones XS would have been a nice gesture. Customer Sat, Tim.

iPhone XR

Why does the “cheap” model get all the nice colours? I would love a red X or XS.

The XR has a 326 PPI screen. This density first debuted on the iPhone 4 in 2010, over 8 years ago. I expect more in 2018, especially from a phone costing 750 USD (1020 USD in Poland, similarly in the EU).

At this price point, I would expect an OLED screen or hope for it to start in the 599-649 USD range with an LCD.

No 3D Touch.

Great job on the camera!

A fast charger and USB-C to Lightning cable should be included in the box.

Apple Watch Series 4

I love the fact that they’re slightly larger and thinner. I wouldn’t mind an extra 1-2 mm in case height.

We’ll be all paying for the ECG function, but this feature will only be available in the US of A. No word on availability in other parts of the world.

All models should have sapphire crystal glass (you can get a traditional Tissot with sapphire crystal for 180 USD or so, with prices as low as 50 USD for lesser known brands).

Retaining compatibility with the bands is a genius move — if there’s one thing Apple shouldn’t change about the Watch going forward, it’s this.

I love the new design of the slightly more rounded case.

The screen appears to be gorgeous and I can’t wait to try the new faces.

The steel model is too expensive. There should also be a GPS-only version for people who don’t care about LTE. I’m not a fan of the aluminium price hike either, but I’ll take it. I would be a huge fan if the price hike included an upgrade to the aforementioned sapphire crystal glass in the “cheap” model — I don’t care if I bang up the case, but I want the screen to remain pristine. The increase in price would be much more acceptable if Apple officially stated that ECG will be available within 6 months everywhere in the world (or Europe at the least). I understand these things take time to sort out, but we’re paying for something we’re not getting.

My Series 0 Space Black (stainless steel) model is worth next to nothing used. This is a small computer and it does not retain value well. I don’t believe this will change going forward, which is why I cannot justify Series 4 steel — I prefer to upgrade sooner to a newer model.

I’m going for the Space Grey Nike+ 44 mm with the Black Nike Sport Loop (or regular Space Grey 44 mm with the Black Sport Loop if the Nike+ model isn’t available).

Miscellaneous

Still only 5 GB of iCloud storage. Unacceptable.

While what I wrote might seem harsh, I’m mainly pointing out that I feel nickel-and-dimed on every step by Tim Cook’s Apple — I never had this feeling earlier. While I am very pleased with the hardware and software, despite some quirks here and there, if Apple wants me to charge that much money, I expect more of them. More cables, faster chargers, included dongles, and so on. Steve Jobs once said to Walter Isaacson:

“My passion has been to build an enduring company where people were motivated to make great products,” Jobs told Isaacson. “The products, not the profits, were the motivation. Sculley flipped these priorities to where the goal was to make money. It’s a subtle difference, but it ends up meaning everything.”

Perhaps the products are still the motivation within Apple, but from the outside I simply feel as if Tim Cook’s Apple is trying to milk me on everything they sell, by either not including features (no more cloth to wipe down my MacBook Pro’s screen, no charging light on the charger cable, and no flip-up ears on the charger) or getting me to buy things which should be in the box by default (no charger extension cable included for the Mac, no fast charger in the box for the iPhone or iPad, etc.).