Apple ’s about to announce four new iPhones , a twain of new Apple Watches , and who knows , maybe updated AirPods or an iPad mini . We ’ve come to expect this September outcome and its “ phones and keep an eye on ” announcements . But it always prompt me of just how many Apple products therearenow .
It ’s too many , honestly . I ’m always annoyed by those who excoriate “ Steve Jobs would never … ” about some fresh Apple production , but it surely feel true about Apple ’s exploding product offerings .
As a fan of Apple products , I feel strange enounce it , but … we needless Apple , with more meaningful differentiation .
The famous four-square chart
At the Macworld Expo in 1998 , Steve Jobs bring out his product overhaul scheme upon returning to Apple . Apple had too many ware on offer , and it was confusing to love what to urge .
Jobs summed up the problem neatly in that tonic : “ How are we going to explain this to others whenwedon’t even bang what products to recommend to our Quaker ? ” The solution was a canonic four - square grid : Consumer and Professional on one axis , Desktop and Portable on the other .
That ’s it . Four great Cartesian product . iMac and iBook for consumer , Power Mac and PowerBook for master .
As Jobs explain it , “ If we only had four we could put the A squad on every single one of them . And if we only had four , we could turn them all every nine months , instead of every 18 month . And if we only had four , we could be mold on the next generation or two of each one as we ’re introducing the first generation . ”
plainly , Apple does n’t just make Macs anymore . Four product are n’t going to cut it , and Apple had expanded well beyond four product even while Jobs was at the troupe .
But his points ring true today , in a way they have n’t since the days of Jobs ’ exile . Even experts like us at Macworld have a hard time tell apart our friends and family members which iPhone , iPad , or Mac is right for them . Some product seem mostly unchanged year after yr , with major generational improvement coming only after long full stop of stagnation .
Apple ’s newfangled - ish habit of go forward to deal the last - gen product well into the current - gen timeframe only explodes the product offer further . Apple will still trade you a brand - new MacBook Air with the M1 chip and a 2018 intent . you could still bribe a brand name newfangled iPhone 12 or iPhone 13 . And its SE Cartesian product , the Apple Watch SE and iPhone SE , are just repackaged products from years ago .
Bring back the four-square grid
Job ’s four - hearty grid is not appropriate for an Apple that stimulate so much more than computers , but it feels like the principles still count .
For each product category ( iPhone , iPad , MacBook , iMac , AirPods , Apple Watch ) there should be no more than four ware on sale at any metre : A “ consumer ” and “ pro ” model in one or two sizes .
Apple
Apple does n’t need to make more than a small and a big iPhone in received and Pro models . Same with MacBooks . Same with iPads . Apple sellssixiPads ( mini , ninth gen , 10th gen , Air , 11 - column inch Pro , 12.9 - column inch Pro ) .
In some category , like Apple Watch , there are four products but the mix is all improper . We only need Apple Watch and Apple Watch Ultra , in two sizes each .
AirPods ? Regular and pro buds , regular and pro bathroom . That ’s it .
Desktop Macs ? Two sizes of iMac and two variation of Mac Studio . MacBook ? Two size of MacBook and two size of MacBook Pro .
Within the Macs in picky , there are too many options . Give us only two or three warehousing size option and two random memory options , and that ’s it . No split up tomentum about processor conformation !
Just that pruning would cut down on about 10 devices and that ’s before we even think about eliminating entire merchandise line .
Less is more
I do n’t wait the domain ’s most valuable technology company , deserving almost threetrilliondollars , to take my advice on its product offerings .
But as a consumer and lover of Apple intersection since the Apple IIe , I palpate like the companionship has become what it always hated : a bloated megacorp come to more with maximizing gain than democratise applied science .
And that ’s not even starting in on services !
Apple is beat ready to found four more products in its most significant product category , just as it did last year and the class before and the year before that . perchance this is a estimable time for self - expression . mayhap this is the clock time to ask about what ’s really important , what ’s really needed , what ’s reallybest , versus what just makes more money .
