Apple TV+ Snags Lewis Hamilton Formula One Feature Documentary
Image via LewisHamilton.com
News of another sports related documentary for Apple TV+. Apple Insider says the Cupertino-streamer has “obtained a new feature documentary about Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton…” Describing the doc, Apple says:
Coming from a working-class family, Lewis succeeded in a sport where the odds were stacked against him but where his talent shone through, allowing him to dominate the sport for over a decade. Hamilton is currently the only Black driver to race in the Formula One series… He embraced what made him different and his rise to the top of his career has made him fiercely committed to using his platform to influence positive change for future generations.
Fast cars? Social change? What’s not to love! Apple Insider says:
The documentary will feature full access to the seven-time Formula One world champion and his team. It will also include footage from on and off the track, as well as a slate of guest interviews.
No word on a title yet. And nothing about a release date.
Four Big Names Join Apple TV+ Film "Ghosted"
Image via Deadline
The Apple TV+ film Ghosted is filling out its cast. Deadline ran a piece earlier this week announcing the addition of Mike Moh, Amy Sedaris, Tim Blake Nelson, and Tate Donovan to the Chris Evans/Ana de Armas/Adrien Brody flick. The piece says the “project is described as a high-concept romantic action-adventure film,” which tells us almost nothing. Booming cast, though. In production now, there is no word on when the film will land in Apple’s stream.
Apple TV+ Outs Season-Two Trailer for “Tehran”
The second season of “Tehran” is set for May, and Apple TV+ is already starting the promos. iMore says the Cupertino-streamer has released a trailer for season two, which is still two-months away. Jogging the memory, the piece says the series focuses on:
…a Mossad hacker-agent who infiltrates Tehran under a false identity to help destroy Iran's nuclear reactor. But when her mission fails, [she] must plan an operation that will place everyone dear to her in jeopardy.
iMore says the first two episodes will hit on Friday 6 May. Single episodes will follow each Friday until the season wraps on Friday 17 June. Season one of “Tehran” is available to stream now on Apple TV+. You can catch the trailer for season two below.
Apple Outs Second Season Trailer for “Stillwater”
The second season of “Stillwater” is only a week away, and Apple’s got a trailer for it. iMore says the Peabody winning kids show “helps children be more mindful by teaching them lessons about life…” This it does through the examples, stories, and gentle humor of the animated panda Stillwater.
In addition to a second season, “Stillwater” is getting an Earth Day special. iMore says the episode, “One Drop Makes an Ocean,” will launch on Friday, April 15 in celebration of Earth Day, April 22.”
The first season of “Stillwater” is available to stream now on Apple TV+. Season-two floats into Apple’s stream next Friday 18 March. Between now and then, you can catch the trailer below.
Analysts React to Apple’s “Peek Performance”
After taking the better part of a day, a few analysts and market trackers have reacted to Apple’s “Peek performance” event. That’s the one that had Apple talkin’ baseball, and introducing an updated iPhone SE, an updated iPad Air, the new Mac Studio desktop, and the new Studio Display. Apple 3.0 gathered 3.0 notes on the presentation.
Focusing on the phone, Evercore analyst Amit Daryanani sort of tried listening between Apple’s spoken lines. He noticed that Apple spent less time focusing on iPhone SE’s 5G connectivity than it did on how much better the new SE is than the old iPhone 8. Noting the focus, he’s thinking 5G may not have been a major selling point for iPhone to this point. That said, aiming messaging at people with phones three years old or older could be a winning strategy - especially for emerging markets.
Daryanani has an “Outperform” rating on Apple shares. His price target on the shares is $210.
While Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives seems to have focused on iPhone as well (his note was headlined, “iPhone SE Front and Center — Another Demand Driver”), Apple 3.0 honed in on how impressed Ives seemed with the Mac Studio. Very. He was very impressed with Apple’s new desktop - particularly the new M1 Ultra. This he calls a “staggering technology achievement that is another shot across the board at chip stalwarts such as Intel as Apple beats chip companies at their own game on the desktop front.”
Ives has an “Outperform” rating on Apple shares. His price target on the shares is $200.
Leading up to the event, Ives was impressed with Apple’s ability to keep introducing new products given ongoing components issues and the tangled supply chain. Loup Ventures principal Gene Munster picked up on that theme. While expressing admiration for Apple’s new desktop and associated display, that wasn’t the thing that impressed him the most. “More importantly,” reads his note:
…the event is another reminder that Apple is the gold standard at getting it done. Since 2018, they’ve hosted 4 product events per year. Apple has been at its most prolific despite multiple headwinds that have sidetracked the product development efforts of most companies. As long as Apple can keep upgrading the current products, launch new products and services, and enter new product categories, shares of AAPL will continue to rise.
Counterpoint: Slightly Higher Price Won’t Hinder iPhone SE3
iPhone SE - Image via Apple
One of the biggest surprises around the iPhone SE Apple introduced this week was the slightly higher price. Generally speaking, even when updating an iPhone’s features, Apple keeps the entry price the same for consumers. This time though, the starter iPhone SE will go for $429 - a $30 increase over the last entry-level SE. That is not likely to hinder sales, according to market tracker Counterpoint Research. Apple Insider has the firm addressing the issue. Despite Evercore analyst Amit Daryanani’s thoughts to the contrary, Counterpoint thinks the phone’s added features - including 5G - will spur demand. In the piece, Counterpoint research director Jeff Fieldhack was quoted as saying:
The A15 Bionic supports all current services and others to come for the foreseeable future, so [Apple] can run this device for years with only slight tweaks or upgrades… And the higher starting price doesn't just mitigate short term risk, it gives [Apple] extra padding to drop prices tactically in tandem with new 5G launches and as the product ages.
5G iPhone SE to Grow iPhone Globally
iPhone SE - Image via Apple
Despite its slightly higher price, Counterpoint Research expects the 2022 iPhone SE to grow iPhone sales in several markets. Apple Insider has Counterpoint senior analyst Sujeong Lim saying:
Developed markets like Japan will be critical to the success of the new iPhone SE, where one-third of all 2020 SE models have been sold… and, of course, stalwarts like the US and China, which accounted for another third of unit sales, will be big drivers.
But this time, we expect demand to open up more across other markets like Europe, SE Asia and Korea… regions where many consumers stayed away because of the lack of 5G support.
Hey! Don’t forget about India says the site Business Today out of India. They’ve got the industry intelligence firm CyberMedia Research (CMR) guesstimating that iPhone SE will make up a quarter of Apple’s smartphone shipments in India this year. And they expect the total number to be greater.
Last year, CMR says Apple shipped 5.4 million iPhones in India. That number is expected to rise to 7.5 million in 2022. While sales have been rising, consumers on the subcontinent tend to save a few rupees by buying older iPhones. Now, CMR tells Business Today:
The addition of 5G capability in the new iPhone SE 2022 will entice older generation iPhone users to upgrade with the intent of future-proofing themselves. In CY2022, the new iPhone SE 2022 will potentially account for one in every four iPhones shipped in India…
Counterpoint: 7-of-10 Top-Selling Smartphones in 2021 Were iPhones
Speculation that the new iPhone SE will grow Apple’s smartphone sales in several regions could mean an even crazier smartphone top-ten next year. To be clear, it’s already pretty crazy. Ahead of Apple’s “Peek performance” event, 9 to 5 Mac ran a piece Tuesday that had Counterpoint Research guesstimating that, for 2021, seven of the world’s top-ten smartphones were iPhones. Running down their list:
iPhone 12
iPhone 12 Pro Max
iPhone 13
iPhone 12 Pro
iPhone 11
Samsung Galaxy A12
Xiaomi Redmi 9A
iPhone SE 2020
iPhone 13 Pro Max
10. Xiaomi Redmi 9
A couple of things are kind of amazing about that list. First, two phones from the iPhone 13 are on it, with iPhone 13 taking third for the year despite being available for less than a third of the year. The other crazy thing, how little of the global share Apple has, even while selling 7 of the top-ten phones. By Counterpoint’s reckoning, Apple’s seven-out-of-ten only account for 14.2% of the global smartphone market. According to the firm, there were more than 4,200 smartphone models competing for the world’s attention in 2021.
Apple Makes Black and Silver Accessories for Mac Available for Purchase
Magic Mouse - Image via Apple
In addition to the new Mac Studio and Studio Display, Apple hit with a few modified accessories this week. MacRumors writes up the company’s new Magic Keyboard with Touch ID, Magic Trackpad, and Magic Mouse. The only true newness is the color scheme. The piece says the black and silver accessories “are identical to the slightly redesigned versions that were introduced with the 24-inch iMac last year…” In fact, what’s new about these may not even be the color scheme, but the fact that folks can buy them on their own. To this point, the piece says, “black and silver peripherals have only been available exclusively with the Mac Pro and have not been available to purchase separately.” However, Mac Studio comes with no peripherals, and since folks are spending money anyway, why not? MacRumors says:
The Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and Numeric Keypad is available for $199, the Magic Trackpad is available for $149, and the Magic Mouse is available for $99, and they are all available to order starting today to ship within one business day.
Apple Bumps Specs on Mac Pro
I said yesterday that if you were considering getting an Intel-based Mac Pro, don’t. I should apologize. There’s nothing wrong with the machine, as far as I know, and there are probably use cases for which the Intel architecture will work, while Apple Silicon will not. While it’s unlikely to have much more in the way of updates ahead, it’s gotten a couple this week. On Tuesday, AMD added a new GPU option. Now, a piece from MacRumors says Apple has bumped a couple of specs on the device as well. According to the piece:
Apple [has] upgraded its base model Mac Pro to include 512GB of storage and AMD's Radeon Pro W5500X graphics for the same $5,999 starting price. Previously, this configuration included 256GB of storage and Radeon Pro 580X graphics.
It sill seems like Mac Studio might be a better bet. But, if Intel-based is the only thing that’ll do, Apple appears unready to abandon the older Pro just yet.
Apple Kills 27-Inch iMac
27-Inch iMac - Image via B&H Photo
Heading into this week’s “Peek performance” event, some had hoped that Apple would update the 27-inch iMac with Apple Silicon. Instead, Apple sent the machine packing. On the same day that Apple introduced Mac Studio and its sold-separately display, Ars Technica says “the 27-inch Intel iMac disappeared from Apple's online store.” The site has since confirmed with Apple that the super big, all-in-one desktop has “reached end of life.”
Coming Soon: New Features for iMovie
iMove Storyboards on an iPad - Image via Apple
10 MARCH 2022 - Apple previewed a software update at Tuesday’s “Peek performance” event. iMore says iMovie is getting some love next month. Two big features coming to the consumer grade video editor in April are Magic Movie and Storyboards. Apple’s description of Magic Movie sounds like it’ll either make your movie for you, or give you a rough cut that you can tweak. “Select media or an album from your library,” says the description:
…then Magic Movie identifies the best parts of the footage and automatically creates an edit. Experiment with different video looks by choosing from 20 different styles. Easily rearrange or delete clips from a simplified list of your shots and modify the details with tools for clip trimming, splitting, and more.
Storyboards sounds a bit more filmmaker-y. “Learn video storytelling or sharpen your skills with new Storyboards,” says Apple’s description:
The premade video templates guide you through the movie-making process. Choose from 20 storyboards based on popular genres like Cooking, Product Reviews, or Science Experiments. Each storyboard includes a shot list with examples to guide you through capturing footage, organizing clips, and learning different story structures.
All that, plus easy ways to save and share. While the demo pics show the new features running on Mac, iPhone, and iPad, there’s nothing in the descriptions that says which models of those devices will be supported. We’ll find out sometime next month.
Apple TV+ Previews Four Films at “Peek Performance”
Lucky Penny, featured in the Apple TV+ film Luck
Apple previewed four films coming to Apple TV+ during Tuesday’s “Peek performance.” They were part of a two-minute-or-so montage near the top of the event - blink and you will miss them, though The Mac Observer managed to make out what was what.
Argylle “follows the story of a high-ranking spy suffering from amnesia,” according to TMO. Crazy cast for this one, including Henry Caville, Sam Rockwell, Bryce Dallas Howard, Bryan Cranston, Catherine O’Hara, John Cena, Samuel L. Jackson, and Dua Lipa. Directed by Kingsman’s Matthew Vaughn, Argyle is expected sometime this year.
Does the world need another retelling of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol? Apple seems to think so. Spirited is a big budget, star studded, modern day musical retelling. Ryan Reynolds, Will Farrell, and Octavia Spencer are just a few of the players. 2022 is all we know about the “when,” but sometime around the holidays would make a lot of sense.
Coming nearer to now, Luck is an animated feature exploring the ancient battle between good and bad luck. Simon Pegg, Jane Fonda, Whoopi Goldberg, and John Ratzenberger are among the voices you’ll recognize. Luck is expected to hit this August.
And finally today, Apple’s Sundance 2022 find, Cha Cha Real Smooth flashed across the screen. TMO says this one follows “a young man working as a Bar Mitzvah party host [who] becomes acquainted with a mother and her autistic daughter.” While it did not have a release date earlier this week, it does now. A piece from Apple Insider says the film is set to hit Apple TV+ on Friday 17 June.
Apple Introduces 5G Enabled Third-Gen iPhone SE
Image via Apple
There were some surprises during Apple’s “Peek performance” event. The new iPhone SE was not one of them. If you didn’t know you were holding a new model, you’d have no hint. Same 4.7-inch screen size… same colors… same ol’ home button with Touch ID. Same look, as I say, though that might get me in a tiny bit of trouble. While the second-gen iPhone SE came in black, white, and (PRODUCT)Red, the new ones come in midnight, starlight, and (PRODUCT)RED - totally different, a pox upon me.
The (A15) Bionic Eye
While changes may not be obvious from the outside, there are many improvements. Those start with the processor. The newest iPhone SE rocks the same A15 Bionic that powers the iPhone 13 line. That gives it better battery life and improved camera functionality, according to the company, including Smart HDR 4, Photographic Styles, and Deep Fusion.
One marquee feature found in the 13-line but missing from the new SE is Cinematic Mode. A piece from 9 to 5 Mac says the feature, which lets users blur the background of a video, did not make it into this week’s model. It’s possible the feature needs more than the SE’s single lens. Maybe Apple’s holding it out for differentiation. Whatever the case, don’t look for it. It won’t be there.
iPhone SE Waves Off mmWave 5G
What is there is 5G. Giving the usual sales pitch, Apple says:
5G allows users to take advantage of the latest generation of wireless technology, with faster uploads and downloads, lower latency, and better experiences in more places…
Once again though, something is missing. Or mmmissing. A piece from Apple Insider says iPhone SE only supports sub-6GHz 5G, not mmWave. According to the piece:
The faster mmWave potentially brings data transfer speeds in excess of 4 gigabits per second. It requires the use of high-frequency bands, however, which are still not common place.
Slower sub-6GHz bands are considered more robust than the mmWave ones, and they also don't need cell towers to be as close together.
Mentions I’ve seen online indicate that almost no one has actually experienced mmWave 5G, save for incredibly densely populated areas. mmWave-compatible iPhones have also not been released outside the U.S., so - really - it’ll probably be a while before iPhone SE3 users feel any sort of affect not having mmWave access.
Compare and Contrast
There are other differences between iPhone 13 and iPhone SE about which would-be buyers may want to know. 9 to 5 Mac hits a few of those.
While the back glass on iPhone SE is said to be as strong as the back glass on iPhone 13, the SE update apparently doesn’t feature the same display toughness. iPhone 13’s Ceramic Shield is not listed among iPhone SE’s features.
No MagSafe for iPhone SE, just so you know.
While it stands up to dust and water as well as its predecessor, boasting the same IP67 rating, iPhone 13 is rated IP68. “One better,” as Nigel Tufnel might point out.
Finally, there is the price. It’s more, though not by much. Getting into a 64GB iPhone SE used to run buyers $399. When the next one hits, it’ll cost $30 more, starting at $429 for the 64GB model. The 128GB version will go for $479, while the 256GB model will set buyers back $579.
Orders and Shipping
For a normal iPhone release, we talk about setting our alarm clocks, though I’m not sure iPhone SE is a “set your alarm” type of device. Whatever the case, Apple says:
Customers in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, the UK, the US, and more than 30 other countries and regions will be able to pre-order iPhone SE beginning at 5 a.m. PST on Friday, March 11, with availability beginning Friday, March 18.
Shades of Green for iPhone 13
Image via Apple
If your reason for not getting an iPhone 13 had to do not with the cost nor the wait, but the color - you’ve got another option. Apple introduced two new iPhone colors on Tuesday: Green and green.
Apologies. Green is for iPhone 13. Alpine green is for iPhone 13 Pro - a pox upon me. Same as the new iPhone SE, orders for the green iPhone and alpine green iPhone 13 Pro go up in 30+ countries this Friday 11 March. The phones will hit the world’s hot little hands a week later on Friday 18 March.
Apple Intros Updated iPad Air
Image via Apple
As unsurprising as Tuesday’s iPhone SE update was the introduction of an updated iPad Air. Lots to like about the new fondle-slab, including the inclusion of the M1 chip (as seen in various Macs and iPad Pro), 5G connectivity, a new front camera with Center Stage, and more. According to Apple’s PR speak:
The 8-core CPU delivers up to 60 percent faster performance, and the 8-core GPU delivers up to 2x faster graphics performance compared to the previous iPad Air. Combined with the CPU and GPU, a 16-core Neural Engine powers advanced machine learning (ML) functions that enable next-level experiences.
Cool as the front camera is, the back camera’s not too shabby. The 12MP Wide camera can capture sharp pictures and 4K video, scan documents, and let users do that AR thing.
“+ Cellular” models include 5G connectivity. I’m assuming that’s minus mmWave connectivity, though I’m not 100% on that. Cool colors, including space gray, starlight, pink, purple, and blue. Two capacities available: The 64GB version will run $599 for wifi-only with the 256GB wifi-model running $749. Add cellular and it’s $749 for the 64GB model and $899 for the 256GB.
Given iPad’s hard to get nature of late, this will be a set your alarm device. So - set your alarm. Orders start on Friday 11 March in 29 countries, including the U.S. They’ll be out to the world the following Friday 18 March.
Apple Intros Mac Studio and Studio Display
Image via Apple
Did you buy an Intel-based Mac Pro? Then this one may hurt. While there had been speculation that Apple would do something to update the Mac line, what they did still seemed largely unexpected. On Tuesday, Apple introduced the Mac Studio and the accompanying Studio Display.
“I’m sorry… did you say ‘Ultra’?”
With the new machine comes a new processor. Two flavors of Mac Studio available - one powered by M1 Max and another by the new M1 Ultra.
You know, a few years ago I made light of everybody calling their streaming services “Blank +.” Apple TV+, Disney+, Paramount+ (though that one’s more recent). That was the day I started calling my show, “Mac OS Ken,” “Mac OS Ken Ultra.” I’m not accusing Apple of anything. I will let my attorneys do that for me.
According to the company:
Mac Studio Powered by M1 Max Enables:
Up to 2.5x faster CPU performance than the fastest 27-inch iMac with 10-core processor.
Up to 50 percent faster CPU performance than Mac Pro with a 16-core Xeon processor.
Up to 3.4x faster graphics performance than the 27-inch iMac, and over 3x faster than Mac Pro with its most popular graphics card.
Up to 7.5x faster than the 27-inch iMac, and up to 3.7x faster than 16-core Mac Pro when transcoding video.
Kicking it up a notch, Mac Studio Powered by M1 Ultra Enables:
Up to 3.8x faster CPU performance than the fastest 27-inch iMac with 10-core processor.
Up to 90 percent faster CPU performance than Mac Pro with 16-core Xeon processor.
Up to 60 percent faster CPU performance than 28-core Mac Pro.
Up to 4.5x faster graphics performance than the 27-inch iMac, and up to 80 percent faster than the fastest Mac graphics card available today.
Up to 12x faster than the 27-inch iMac, and up to 5.6x faster than 28-core Mac Pro when transcoding video.
I’m no video transcoder, but that sounds like a lot more times more.
SuperConnected
For folks worried about connectivity, ports aplenty! “On the back,” says Apple:
…Mac Studio includes four Thunderbolt 4 ports to connect displays and high-performance devices, a 10Gb Ethernet port, two USB-A ports, an HDMI port, and a pro audio jack…
The front features two USB-C ports, which are either fast or superfast, depending on which M1 is on play. There’s also an SD card slot on the front, which is kind of convenient. “Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 are built in as well,” according to the company.
Image via Apple
Studio Display
What’s the best way to see what you’re doing on your Mac Studio? Apple would likely say the best way is with a Studio Display. “Studio Display features a 27-inch 5K Retina screen with over 14.7 million pixels,” according to Apple. Of course it has True Tone, automatically adjusting the display’s color temperature to the light around it. The screen is anti-reflective, though you can spend more for the nano-texture option that was first introduced on Pro Display XDR.
The display is powered by Apple’s A13 Bionic chip, as seen in iPhone 11 and the previous iPhone SE. It includes a 12MP Ultra Wide camera with Center Stage (thanks A13). The company says the display:
…also includes a studio-quality, three-microphone array with an especially low noise floor for crystal-clear calls and voice recordings. It also features a high-fidelity six-speaker sound system, (…) Four force-cancelling woofers (…) and two high-performance tweeters… The speakers also support spatial audio for music and video with Dolby Atmos…
Thanks again, A13.
How are you with the patience thing?
Checking on its connectivity, Studio Display has three USB-C ports and a Thunderbolt port. Checking on its availability - gosh I wish you had a time machine. Both Mac Studio and Studio Display went up for order yesterday. Folks who were quick on the draw will get theirs on Friday 18 March. Folks who decided to give it a day will have a lot of time to kick themselves, if they are so inclined. By mid-afternoon on the west coast/early evening back east, 9 to 5 Mac already had a headline saying, “Mac Studio and Studio Display shipping estimates slipping into May hours after launch.” Buying off the rack doesn’t look quite that bad. Checking Tuesday night, an as-is Mac Studio powered by M1 Max shows delivery between 23 March and 30 March. Longer wait for the M1 Ultra version. With no modification, those show delivery between 20 April and 27 April.
The M1 Max machine starts at $1,999.00. Apple is not kidding about the Ultra. That one starts at $3,999.00. Studio Display starts at $1,599, and yes - you heard me correctly, the display has a starting price. I mentioned earlier that you can add Pro Display XDR’s nano-texture glass. A piece from Engadget says that adds $300 to the cost. And while it comes with a tilt-adjustable stand or a wall mount, if you want a stand that is both tilt and height adjustable, you’re dropping another $400. Get both and you’re close to $2,300 for the $1,600 display. While I’ve not done the math myself, a piece from MacRumors says a fully tricked out Apple Studio package, complete with the “highest-end Mac Studio, Studio Display, and accessories” would run buyers close to $11,000.
Free shipping though, so… you’d almost be a fool to not.
Intel-Based Mac Pro Gets New AMD GPU Option
If you’ve got an Intel-based Mac Pro, not only is your machine not dead, it actually got a new option on Tuesday. MacRumors says AMD announced the AMD Radeon PRO W6600X GPU for the machine.
Quick aside: I know people get annoyed with Apple’s naming convention for Apple Silicon - M1 Pro, M1 Max, M1 Ultra… but seriously, which is easier to grasp: M1 Ultra or Radeon PRO W6600X? I nearly fell asleep typing it each time.
Not Dead, But Not Thriving
If you’ve been considering getting an Intel-based Mac Pro, for the love of all that’s holy, do not. First of all, I’m pretty sure Apple said somewhere in there that you can trick out Mac Studio for better performance than the Mac Pro. And second, there’s an Apple Silicon Mac Pro in the works. The same MacRumors piece points out:
Apple confirmed [Tuesday] that it is working on an Apple silicon-based version of the Mac Pro that will see the company transitioning away from Intel chips and AMD graphics, but there is no word on when such a machine might launch.
Well… end of the year, right? Apple said a little less than a year-and-a-half-ago that that it would complete its transition from Intel to Apple Silicon in a couple of years. Those two years end this year, yeah? Anyway - that’s the happs on that front.
Developers Get Release Candidates of Next Apple Operating Systems
Image via eBay
With new hardware hitting next week, you’ll not be surprised to hear that new operating systems are hitting next week as well. Ahead of those, Apple has made a bunch of release candidates available to developers. Two pieces from Apple Insider spread the word. One announces the RC for macOS Monterey 12.3, while the other announces release candidates for iOS/iPadOS 15.4, watchOS 8.5, and tvOS 15.4.
I will be really surprised if Apple does not release the same candidates to the public beta program this week. Then again, I was really surprised last time. Not “birthday cake” surprised. More, “why did I guess that out loud” surprised. Anyway - OS updates are headed our way. And quickly.
Apple’s Subtle Shoutout to Ukraine
And now, concentrating on the wrong thing. Do you ever wonder when Apple makes these pre-recorded presentations? I saw some people complaining on Twitter on Tuesday about the fact that Apple said nothing during Tuesday’s event about Russia’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine, which is entering its third week. Some defended the company, pointing out that there’s no telling when the various segments were shot. Others said, yeah - okay, but they could have tacked on some sort of acknowledgement. Personally, I think Apple’s statements on the situation - both to the public and to employees, moving Crimea back to Ukraine in the Maps and Weather apps, plastering donation links for humanitarian aid across all of its services, suspension of hardware sales in Russia, and nixing App Store Ad Sales in Russia all send a pretty strong message. Additionally, from a presentation point of view, how does one talk about the atrocities being visited upon the Ukrainian people, then say, “but enough about that, let’s sell some iPhones”?
Yeah, it turns out Apple did acknowledge the situation, though in a subtle way. A piece from Cult of Mac points to Apple CEO Tim Cook’s outfit for the “Peek performance” performance. According to the site:
Cook emceed the event wearing an eye-catching yellow Sport band. Paired with his blue sweater, Cook seemed to be making a subtle gesture of support for [Ukraine] (yellow and blue are the colors of the Ukrainian national flag).
While “Cook didn’t call out the situation in Ukraine during the presentation,” the Cult says “the color pairing seems unlikely to have been a coincidence.”