Going After the Next 250 Million Wrists (AVALON Podcast)
In the 19th episode of the AVALON podcast, Neil discussed the following topics/subjects:
What's on the Agenda (the bulk of the discussion modeled after Apple’s Monday morning meetings)
My Apple Watch Ultra 3 impressions.
Apple Watch onboarding.
Apple Watch strategy.
My Apple Watch installed base / sales estimates.
The value found with computing on the wrist.
Is the Apple Watch being held back by Apple?
Lighting Round (two topics two minutes each)
Anthropic’s NYC pop-up shop (via Air Mail’s brick-and-mortar location).
EA sells itself to private equity.
Give Me a Break (something ridiculous that jumped out at me)
Sora 2 and AI slop.
Tell Me More (something intriguing that has my attention)
Anthropic is on to something with its “Keep Thinking” brand campaign.
Listen to the first four minutes of the episode below:
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My Full Notes From Apple’s “Awe Dropping” Event
Hello everyone. Welcome to a new week.
As we go through my notes from Apple’s event, some of the major themes and takeaways (discussed last Tuesday) will shine through. This was one of the more HW-focused events from Apple in recent memory.
Let’s jump in.
My Full Notes From Apple’s “Awe Dropping” Event
Apple’s Opening Video
Apple kicked off its “Awe Dropping” presentation with a black screen and the following Steve Jobs quote in white lettering: “Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.” Apple then showed an 80-second montage of various Apple features, capabilities, and tools connected via shapes, textures, and materials. The video even featured a few Apple retail stores - a prelude to the store’s much larger role in the presentation. It was nice to see Apple emphasize design in such a direct way for a change. It brought back memories of some Apple marketing from the early 2010s.
Opening scene to Apple’s presentation
AirPods Pro 3
Redesign. AirPods Pro 3 have a new multi-port acoustic architecture that allows more airflow (sound) into the ear. Apple also has new foam-infused ear tips meant to improve Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). The AirPods have gotten smaller to fit in and stay in more ears – users will have five different options for the ear tips.
While audio remains positioned at the center of AirPods Pro 3 marketing, Apple relied on a “but there is more” mention to refer to the product category’s growing presence in health and activity monitoring.
Upgrading. Apple positioned the AirPods Pro 3’s ANC as a “must-have upgrade…” for those using older AirPods.
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Observations Attending Apple’s “Awe Dropping” Event, Who Is the iPhone Air For?, Apple Wearables Momentum
Hello everyone. In Wednesday’s update, we went over the major themes and takeaways from Apple’s product event.
iPhone Air is the most noteworthy iPhone redesign since at least iPhone X (2017).
Hardware design efficiency (with the goal of improving experiences / how devices are used).
Battery life optimization (via HW innovation & custom silicon).
Apple is ready to push new iPhone usage behaviors (iPhone as a fashion accessory / elevating the front-facing camera as a key differentiator from wearable cameras).
In going through my notes from this week, there were a handful of topics that deserved more attention and explanation than just a quick mention. Those discussion topics will comprise today’s (long) update. The updates originally meant for yesterday (Thursday) and today (Friday) have been combined into today’s update.
On Monday, we will go over my full notes from the week.
Observations Attending Apple’s “Awe Dropping” Event
This week’s event marked ten years since attending my first Apple event at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco. Over the years, there has been evolution in Apple’s product events. However, this week’s event seemed to contain more changes than usual.
Become a member to continue reading today’s update. Already a member? Read the full update here.
An audio version of this update is available to members who have the podcast add-on attached to their membership.
Member Privileges and Benefits
Become an Above Avalon member and receive the following privileges and benefits:
Exclusive Analysis. Receive the Above Avalon Daily newsletter, widely-recognized as the leading daily newsletter dedicated to Apple. Now in its tenth year.
Archive Access. Access previous newsletters sent to members.
Member Forum Access. Access all channels in the Above Avalon forum in Discord.
Email Access. Receive timely responses from Neil to email inquiries.
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Apple’s “Awe Dropping” Event Review: Major Takeaways and Themes
Happy Wednesday. Today’s update includes the first part of my Apple event review. Apple’s pretaped presentation can be viewed here. The discussion will flow into tomorrow’s update. Let’s jump right in.
Apple’s “Awe Dropping” Event Review: Major Takeaways and Themes
iPhone Air
The iPhone Air is the most noteworthy iPhone redesign since the iPhone X in 2017. It’s tough putting the two redesigns head-to-head though as the iPhone X also included a significant change to how we engage with an iPhone (Touch ID -> Face ID as the home button was removed).
iPhone Air
After spending some time with the iPhone Air, the device lives up to the hype. There is a certain natural feeling found with the iPhone Air, as in you tend to gravitate to a thin device. Even after just a few minutes with iPhone Air, the other flagship iPhones feel shockingly thick. Our minds can play tricks on us. This exercise will be easily replicated in Apple stores when the iPhone Air is demoed next to the other iPhone 17 flagships.
Many people may associate an ultra-thin gadget with smallness. However, one of my first reactions using iPhone Air was that
Become a member to continue reading today’s update. Already a member? Read the full update here.
An audio version of this update is available to members who have the podcast add-on attached to their membership.
Member Privileges and Benefits
Become an Above Avalon member and receive the following privileges and benefits:
Exclusive Analysis. Receive the Above Avalon Daily newsletter, widely-recognized as the leading daily newsletter dedicated to Apple. Now in its tenth year.
Archive Access. Access previous newsletters sent to members.
Member Forum Access. Access all channels in the Above Avalon forum in Discord.
Email Access. Receive timely responses from Neil to email inquiries.
Access to Add-ons. Customize a membership with the AVALON, Podcasts, Inside Orchard, and Financial Models add-ons.
Above Avalon Support. Play an active role in supporting Above Avalon as an independent voice and resource.