Is Apple now a chip company first and design second?

[ADGrant]

What? It’s definitely true. No doubt about that. What’s unique about Apple now in terms of anything? How’s Apple different in a meanigful way other than they make the best SoC and maybe the best build quality. They could shine and show their passion in software, which was always the soul of any product, but they choose to be like everybody else.

Apple maybe a company that sells hardware but their software has always been what sets them apart. What is unique is how well everything integrates between watch, phone, tablet and laptop or desktop. Then there are the other devices like BT headphones that seamlessly switch between Apple devices and I personally like the original HomePods which sound great.

MacOS is also the only desktop Unix variant still in common use. The Linux desktop experience is fragmented and very much a minority taste. Of course, Linux isn't actually Unix but its a very good reimplementation of it.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

Apple does not make laptops with unique designs anymore. They recently redesigned the MacBook Air and Pro's and they went with a utilitarian and conservative look. They did not push any boundaries. They don't make the most bleeding edge phones anymore (Samsung is pushing the envelope with foldables). They don't make the best looking wireless earbuds. They don't make the best looking smartwatches. They don't make the best looking tablets. On the software front, Google has caught up on Android's UI and has the same polish as iOS. Apple is no longer the software design leader. The only area that Apple is truly ahead is in chip design. Does that mean Apple is now a chip company first and design second? Also, does that mean Apple no longer attracts the very best designers and instead attracts the best chip designers?

They’re a software company. And, any software company SERIOUS about software, should make their own hardware.

 

[DD88]

I once posted a conspiracy thread saying that Osama Bin Laden was actually the true founder of Apple, I think that statement is more factually correct than any of the waffle presented here

 

[1557750]

Someone tell Apple to make some triangular devices, gosh darn it!!!

 

[ian87w]

Apple does not make laptops with unique designs anymore. They recently redesigned the MacBook Air and Pro's and they went with a utilitarian and conservative look. They did not push any boundaries. They don't make the most bleeding edge phones anymore (Samsung is pushing the envelope with foldables). They don't make the best looking wireless earbuds. They don't make the best looking smartwatches. They don't make the best looking tablets. On the software front, Google has caught up on Android's UI and has the same polish as iOS. Apple is no longer the software design leader. The only area that Apple is truly ahead is in chip design. Does that mean Apple is now a chip company first and design second? Also, does that mean Apple no longer attracts the very best designers and instead attracts the best chip designers?

That is all subjective. Apple doesn't have a ton of product lineup. I mean how many versions of Macbooks do you want? Apple just have two old and three new ones (in terms of design).

And Apple design is iconic. The Airpods and Apple Watch design are being copied by literally all the Chinese OEMs. And for tablets, I mean seriously, what kind of new tablet design do you expect? A triangle one?

Then again, Ive is not there anymore. Hate him or love him, but he did have the guts to redesign stuff (eg. iOS7).

 

[Feyl]

Apple maybe a company that sells hardware but their software has always been what sets them apart. What is unique is how well everything integrates between watch, phone, tablet and laptop or desktop. Then there are the other devices like BT headphones that seamlessly switch between Apple devices and I personally like the original HomePods which sound great.

MacOS is also the only desktop Unix variant still in common use. The Linux desktop experience is fragmented and very much a minority taste. Of course, Linux isn't actually Unix but its a very good reimplementation of it.

Yeah, but the software has no identity and it’s not unique in anything regarding the user experience. Every OS looks the same. Apple used to stand apart. And speaking of ecosystems. To be truly honest you must admit that you can have almost the same thing from other brands. It’s just not that perfect. But you can definitely have almost the same experience.

 

[mectojic]

Hard agree. Design was what brought many people to Apple. It's still there, in all their products, and miles ahead of Windows laptops (which seem to never get it right). But yes, if they were a 10/10 for their past designs, they're an 8/10 now, and about a 1/10 for creativity. I mean, the Mac Studio? They had practically any choice of enclosure for the new SoC, and they just chose to make it a fat Mac Mini. Come on...

 

[Jumpthesnark]

Oh man, this guy. Can we please stop responding to his questions seriously and just realize he's a troll?

 

[thv]

Oh man, this guy. Can we please stop responding to his questions seriously and just realize he's a troll?

at this point just thinking he's paid by the company making those horrid plastic looking white laptops

 

[jdb8167]

I only pointed to the design of the XPS 13, nothing else about the laptop.

Apple could make a 6mm thick MacBook with 45 minutes of battery. It would be truly the thinnest, lightest, and best looking notebook ever. Would that be a good design? Serious question.

 

[Madhatter32]

Apple does not make laptops with unique designs anymore. Apple is no longer the software design leader. The only area that Apple is truly ahead is in chip design. Does that mean Apple is now a chip company first and design second?

The only thing Apple "makes" or manufactures is its software and it designs everything else, including its devices and certain components and accessories, which includes its proprietary chips. So, I would disagree with the entirety of your post.

 

[AbhiAchShan]

Apple does not make laptops with unique designs anymore. They recently redesigned the MacBook Air and Pro's and they went with a utilitarian and conservative look. They did not push any boundaries. They don't make the most bleeding edge phones anymore (Samsung is pushing the envelope with foldables). They don't make the best looking wireless earbuds. They don't make the best looking smartwatches. They don't make the best looking tablets. On the software front, Google has caught up on Android's UI and has the same polish as iOS. Apple is no longer the software design leader. The only area that Apple is truly ahead is in chip design. Does that mean Apple is now a chip company first and design second? Also, does that mean Apple no longer attracts the very best designers and instead attracts the best chip designers?

Got to agree with many things you said, and yes, the new MacBooks are probably the worst looking Macs since almost 6 Years, and we have almost lost design, the new MacBooks are something, like what a kid would have designed how a laptop would look like, and for those talking of function over form, is always better; well, Form over Function bought us the iPhones, iPads, they did pretty much same what others did but rather in a new form, we all know how revolutionary those products were
I personally would love to see the return of the 2016-2020 MacBook Pro Designs back, but with the Apple Silicon, pretty sure, that the Apple Silicon is super-efficient to handle such a system
Secondly, For Tablets, well I still believe Apple makes the best looking tablets, except their Camera Housing looks quite ugly now, but other than that, overall, its really a good looking product
Third, Speaking of Software Design, I think they peaked with iOS12 and iOS13, may be even 14, but later on we started getting weird and complicated settings, none of which were actually necessary, except may be the Battery Percentage as many like, there is nothing so great on iOS nowadays.

 

[Madhatter32]

Got to agree with many things you said, and yes, the new MacBooks are probably the worst looking Macs since almost 6 Years, and we have almost lost design, the new MacBooks are something, like what a kid would have designed how a laptop would look like.

Repeat after me, "eye of the beholder." The new MBPs are masterpieces -- except for the notch.

 

[jav6454]

Apple does not make laptops with unique designs anymore. They recently redesigned the MacBook Air and Pro's and they went with a utilitarian and conservative look. They did not push any boundaries. They don't make the most bleeding edge phones anymore (Samsung is pushing the envelope with foldables). They don't make the best looking wireless earbuds. They don't make the best looking smartwatches. They don't make the best looking tablets. On the software front, Google has caught up on Android's UI and has the same polish as iOS. Apple is no longer the software design leader. The only area that Apple is truly ahead is in chip design. Does that mean Apple is now a chip company first and design second? Also, does that mean Apple no longer attracts the very best designers and instead attracts the best chip designers?

I see lots of "my opinion" sentences there.

 

[MayaUser]

I only pointed to the design of the XPS 13, nothing else about the laptop.

im sorry but its impossible to make something true art with electronics...devices must be functional first...
thats why XPS13 is ok as design,( its clear a design over function ;welcome back touchbar,glad they didnt copy the butterfly keyboard as well) , like M2 Mba ...but lacks the others
If you want true art dont look at electronics..because they are born with very limited lifetime
We all saw how Apple was under Jony Ive...maybe a little more beautiful designs, but a lot worse user experience
You buy your devices just to look at them or to use them ?!

 

[thenewperson]

Apple's designs haven't looked unique for ages. But the reason isn't that Apple doesn't care about design, it's that every time Apple releases a design, all the competition imitates it.

I still find it extremely hilarious that after Apple released the iPhone X with such a large notch multiple OEMs who had no business putting one anywhere near as large on their phone decided that was the way to go anyway.

 

[exoticSpice]

I personally would love to see the return of the 2016-2020 MacBook Pro Designs back, but with the Apple Silicon, pretty sure, that the Apple Silicon is super-efficient to handle such a system

The 2016-2020 MBPs can't cope under full load. The thermal system of those 2016 era Macbooks was bad.

They made the 2021 MBP thicker for bigger fans and more airflow and I like that Apple did that.
Keep the thinness for the macbook Air

 

[AbhiAchShan]

The 2016-2020 MBPs can't cope under full load. The thermal system of those 2016 era Macbooks was bad.

They made the 2021 MBP thicker for bigger fans and more airflow and I like that Apple did that.
Keep the thinness for the macbook Air

Well, let us not forget, the reason we are getting better thermals, are because of the SoC Design, this thing is occupying significantly lower volume for the Mac than before, thereby increasing space for cooling
And I am sure you may have noted that there is the almost the same thickness of the MBP, as the previous ones, rather 0.6 millimetre thick, and even after that being said, the screen is significantly thicker than predecessors, which makes it more thicker, and the base (The MacBook excluding Display), is thinner than predecessors. So thermally, the physical form of chassis for previous MBP, was actually better, than the current one

 

[DPL145$]

Apple does not make laptops with unique designs anymore. They recently redesigned the MacBook Air and Pro's and they went with a utilitarian and conservative look. They did not push any boundaries. They don't make the most bleeding edge phones anymore (Samsung is pushing the envelope with foldables). They don't make the best looking wireless earbuds. They don't make the best looking smartwatches. They don't make the best looking tablets. On the software front, Google has caught up on Android's UI and has the same polish as iOS. Apple is no longer the software design leader. The only area that Apple is truly ahead is in chip design. Does that mean Apple is now a chip company first and design second? Also, does that mean Apple no longer attracts the very best designers and instead attracts the best chip designers?

You are spending way to much time at Fantasyland. Disney is great but not on a full-time basis.

 

[exoticSpice]

So thermally, the physical form of chassis for previous MBP, was actually better, than the current one

umm no. the new one is better for airflow.

This is the 2021 design. More cool air can come into the case.

This is the 2016 era one.


Notice the 2021 has more cool air coming in. It has more intakes. The 2021 case can cool the chip faster.

the screen is significantly thicker than predecessors

Because of miniLED.

 

[MandiMac]

Design is how it works. /thread

 

[AlixSPQR]

Neither. It is a money making marvel with insanely satisfied customers, of which I am one. Chips and design are only means to that, for all parts, profitable end.

 

[AbhiAchShan]

umm no. the new one is better for airflow.

This is the 2021 design. More cool air can come into the case.

View attachment 2041689
This is the 2016 era one.


Notice the 2021 has more cool air coming in. It has more intakes. The 2021 case can cool the chip faster.
Because of miniLED.

I never denied that it was thicker because of MiniLED
Secondly, just you can see the tremendous difference in Size of Logic Board, and Size of M1 Max Chip, which integrates many such components in a chip
This enabled better 50% more space for cooling, even though the volume of base of MacBook got a bit reduced
So just read what I said again my friend, you would realise the older (2019 to 2020) Macs Exterior Chassis was better for cooling, for the newer Apple Silicon, and lastly I actually agree I made a mistake by mentioning 2016 Chassis, but what I actually wanted to convey was the 2019 MBP Chassis, sorry for that mistake, so by correcting, I would say Late 2019 MBP Chassis was the best, may be better, with another set of opening along the hinges

 

[leman]

I would say that Apple is a customer experience company. Their product focus is part of it and they have a strong ideology-driven vision which is what sets them aside from more opportunistic companies like Samsung.

And I very much disagree that the design has been neglected recently. Apple might have embraced some retro elements (the new Macs borrow heavily from early popular Mac models but update these legacy design elements with modern features), their software technology story is at all time high and now they also have established themselves as a leading chip studio.

 

[leman]

I never denied that it was thicker because of MiniLED
Secondly, just you can see the tremendous difference in Size of Logic Board, and Size of M1 Max Chip, which integrates many such components in a chip
This enabled better 50% more space for cooling, even though the volume of base of MacBook got a bit reduced
So just read what I said again my friend, you would realise the older (2019 to 2020) Macs Exterior Chassis was better for cooling, for the newer Apple Silicon, and lastly I actually agree I made a mistake by mentioning 2016 Chassis, but what I actually wanted to convey was the 2019 MBP Chassis, sorry for that mistake, so by correcting, I would say Late 2019 MBP Chassis was the best, may be better, with another set of opening along the hinges

There is no evidence that the 2019 chassis had better cooling than the newer one. The heat sink seem to be bigger/beaver on the new 16” model and the fans seem larger. In my tests the peak power dissipation of the 2019 chassis was around 70W give or take but the M1 Max can sustain 80W without fully engaging the fans. I wouldn’t be surprised if the new chassis could do at least 100W sustained.