Good lord, has Apple not discovered from the iPad and the Apple Pencil?
That’s the query that instantly got here to my thoughts once I heard about right now’s report from Mark Gurman at Bloomberg. In accordance with the journalist, Apple is ready to revamp its AirPods lineup next year. That’s nice! I’m prepared for the AirPods Max to really get up to date with USB-C so I can kill the Lightning connector as soon as and for all.
The report additionally famous that, as a substitute of constant to promote the now very-much-aging 2nd era AirPods, the corporate would drop these from the lineup and simply have present era merchandise throughout the lineup — AirPods, AirPods Professional, and AirPods Max. Lastly! Incredible! Behold: A easy and clear product lineup that’s simple for shoppers to grasp and make an knowledgeable buying resolution for themselves.
However wait. That’s not what is occurring. Apple couldn’t do it. It couldn’t cease whoever is whispering “a product at each worth level” in Tim Cook dinner’s ear — again and again. As an alternative of simplifying the AirPods lineup, it’s pulling an iPad and Apple Pencil and is outwardly going to launch TWO — not one — TWO variations of the bottom mannequin AirPods subsequent yr.
You couldn’t cease yourselves, may you?
In accordance with the report from Gurman, the bottom mannequin AirPods will probably be damaged into two totally different fashions at totally different worth factors.
The bottom mannequin, which we’d as properly name “AirPods Newbie,” will function a redesign that features smaller stems just like the AirPods Professional 2 and in addition undertake USB-C within the charging case. The higher model of the AirPods, which I’ll lovingly name “AirPods Semi-Professional,” which may even get the redesign and USB-C, will get further options like noise cancellation and audio system within the charging case for Discover My alerts. Gurman doesn’t count on AirPods Professional to be up to date till 2025.
If all of this really occurs, this would be the new AirPods lineup:
- AirPods “Newbie”
- AirPods “Semi-Professional”
- AirPods Professional
- AirPods Max
If this finally ends up being the brand new lineup, the AirPods vs. AirPods vs. AirPods Professional function set will get much more complicated since all three will apparently look precisely the identical. Nice. I can’t anticipate Apple to launch one other product comparability chart prefer it did when it needed to attempt to clarify the distinction between the Apple Pencil, Apple Pencil, and Apple Pencil.
I actually hope this doesn’t occur. As a previous Apple Retailer worker, I really feel proactive ache for the worker who must clarify the distinction between the AirPods Semi-Professional and AirPods Professional by asking somebody if they need Dialog Consciousness and Adaptive Audio after which have to elucidate what the hell each of these imply.
This wouldn’t be shocking, contemplating the iPad lineup
Whereas I hope this gained’t occur and Apple will understand that assembly each single worth level isn’t higher than having a product lineup that buyers can really make sense of, I’ve a humorous feeling that is precisely what the corporate will do. The rationale I believe that’s, after all, because of what it has turned the iPad and the Apple Pencil lineup into.
At the moment, if you wish to purchase an iPad, you should buy an iPad, an iPad, an iPad Air, or an iPad Professional. If that doesn’t sound complicated sufficient, you may as well select between an Apple Pencil, an Apple Pencil with USB-C, or an Apple Pencil (2nd era) in your iPad — and each is suitable with totally different iPads. The product lineup is so insane that it’s clear the corporate is as soon as once more chasing worth factors quite than assembling a coherent product technique.
I actually hope that Apple modifications this mindset and learns from a few of its higher lineups — just like the Mac. Wish to purchase a MacBook? Okay, right here’s a MacBook Air and a MacBook Professional. Choose a mannequin. Choose a measurement. That’s clear. That is smart to folks. They will simply select which product is smart for them.
The “it simply works” tagline that Apple has traditionally been synonymous with shouldn’t simply apply to the simplicity of the merchandise individually, however the simplicity of selecting a kind of merchandise as properly.
