What's the most over-rated Apple product and why?

[satchmo]

As a counter to the other thread about favourite Apple product, I thought I'd toss this question out here.

For me, it's the AirPods Pro. It was touted as being so great sound and noise cancelling capabilities.

In my use, I find it very average, and on par with some cheap $20 wired earphones from JVC. They also cost way too much and still lack very basic touch volume functions. The charge case attracts dirt, and it's horizontal shape isn't as easy to hold like the more vertical standard AirPod case.

Anyway's that's me. What do others have on their list?

 

[Pakaku]

iPads, they have their userbase and purposes, but to me are completely inferior to Macbooks in every possible way except for the touchscreen and art/drawing factor

The funny thing is I wouldn't mind having a 13" Pro for art, but I can accomplish art with an Intuos and Macbook just fine. All I lose out on is having it in a compact form, and I can't justify paying full price for a slightly more convenient drawing form factor (although I may be able to justify buying a first-gen Pro at this point)

 

[Erehy Dobon]

Apple external USB SuperDrive. 4-5x more expensive than a PC-grade commodity equivalent and it only works with Macs.

I don't think anything else comes close.

The USB SuperDrive is still being sold by Apple at $79. You can buy a generic PC equivalent (USB slimline) on Amazon for $15.50. Thus the Apple drive is five times more expensive. The only thing it does better is suck money out of your bank account.

(EDIT: specified external USB model)

 

[yurc]

iPads, they have their userbase and purposes, but to me are completely inferior to Macbooks in every possible way except for the touchscreen and art/drawing factor

The funny thing is I wouldn't mind having a 13" Pro for art, but I can accomplish art with an Intuos and Macbook just fine. All I lose out on is having it in a compact form, and I can't justify paying full price for a slightly more convenient drawing form factor (although I may be able to justify buying a first-gen Pro at this point)

Same here, iPad is nice for sketching and ideas on go, but for full art finishing I am still done either on Intuos / Cintiq on Mac. Well, depending the artist style, some works actually can be done on iPad if using simpler art style which doesn't need fidelity or more simple painting.

Apple SuperDrive. 4-5x more expensive than a PC-grade commodity equivalent and it only works with Macs.

I don't think anything else comes close.

I don't know if SuperDrive cost so much, my 5,1 Mac pro included them though, and I think nothing special. Instead I am often using Blu-Ray writer drive on second bays. Or do you mean the external USB SuperDrive one? (which is required dongle to run on newer Macs)

For me, the most stupid price is any Pegasus expansion for Mac Pro 7,1. Seriously they charge you $$$ just for noisy spinning platter drive and metal cage, and they even not selling you empty cage in case I need to install SATA SSD.

Well, this should be solved by putting empty cage on 7,1 from beginning, this is like selling Mac Pro 5,1 without hard drive sleds.

 

[Shanghaichica]

Apple external USB SuperDrive. 4-5x more expensive than a PC-grade commodity equivalent and it only works with Macs.

I don't think anything else comes close.

The USB SuperDrive is still being sold by Apple at $79. You can buy a generic PC equivalent (USB slimline) on Amazon for $15.50. Thus the Apple drive is five times more expensive. The only thing it does better is suck money out of your bank account.

(EDIT: specified external USB model)

I think I paid £50 for my superdrive back in 2015 from Apple. In comparison to the price of the competition back then I don't think it was that much more.

 

[Erehy Dobon]

I think I paid £50 for my superdrive back in 2015 from Apple. In comparison to the price of the competition back then I don't think it was that much more.

That is nuts.

 

[ouimetnick]

I might go with the iPad as well. It does a lot of things well but Apple is intentionally holding it back. The A12X/Z is a capable chip, but I feel the lack of a functional Files.app, Xcode, real iMovie, FCPX, and other professional apps hold it back.

What a shame. A MBA is a more capable device than a similarly priced iPad. I use my iPad for entertainment and media consumption. For real work, I use a REAL computer.

I use my AirPods Pro every day, so I don't think they are overrated. They do exactly what Apple advertises them to do. Does over-rated mean over hyped, or just Apple products we don't like. The HomePod was over hyped by Phill Schiller and a terrible product for the $349 and $299 price point.

The stupid MagSafe charger for the iPhone 12 is another problem looking for a solution piece of trash no one asked for. I've tried it out at the Apple Store and see no reason to use it over my 4 year old Mophie wireless charger than was half the price. MagSafe does charge faster, but is still slower than just plugging in the phone. It's also not really the appropriate use of the MagSafe name either. It was meant to keep your MacBook (Pro/Air) computer safe if you tripped over the power cord. I yanked the cord quickly a few inches while at the Apple Store and the iPhone 12 went along for the ride. What is "safe" about this magnetic induction charger??

 

[retta283]

iPad will never be a true replacement for desktop-class computers until the OS supports a true windowing system. This current system is workable, but extremely limited. Better files app is crucial as well. I do love mine though and it's my favorite device out of Apple's current lineup, but it could be much better than it is.

MagSafe in its current iteration is just a novelty and nothing more.

For me it's probably the AirPods but I can't wear them due to deformities so I haven't been able to properly test them to see if they hold water.

 

[skaertus]

I would say the yet-to-be-released AirTags. I wonder if Apple would really ever release such a product.

Among the existing products, I would say the Apple Watch. Too much hype. Or maybe the Home Pod. If these products had been released by any other company, they would just gather dust and would not be worth but a short mention in a footnote of most newspapers and magazines.

 

[Shanghaichica]

I would say the yet-to-be-released AirTags. I wonder if Apple would really ever release such a product.

Among the existing products, I would say the Apple Watch. Too much hype. Or maybe the Home Pod. If these products had been released by any other company, they would just gather dust and would not be worth but a short mention in a footnote of most newspapers and magazines.

The homepod has been covering dust.

 

[Feyl]

I will get a lot of hate for this but I say Apple Watch. I tried three different generations and each time I couldn't justify it after a month or two. Don't get me wrong I basically love it, but it doesn't do anything that I can't do with other devices and the design kinda sucks. I don't really want it on my wrist. The future Apple Watch needs a lot thinner design with bigger display and yes, a circular shape to look more like a real watch. And when the health aspects of it will be really accurate, then it can make sense. For me at least.

 

[ACB 123]

It sounds like the air tags may go to the top of my list ...

 

[AL2TEACH]

For the money AirPods.

 

[AL2TEACH]

The homepod has been covering dust.

aaaiiieeeee really!!!!! aaaaiiieeeee. luv my HomePods.

 

[firedept]

Air tags definitely. I have a spot for things and use those spots. Some may say OCD but I call it organized. LOL!!!

 

[KennyJr]

The MagSafe Charger.

On a whim I bought one along with my iPhone 12. But - as always, I find it easiest to charge my iPhone each night on my old bedside backside charger. I kept the MagSafe around to see if there was something it could be useful for. I found it works for charging my AirPods Pros. But I find it easiest to charge those by just plugging in a lightning cable - as opposed to having this useless thing take up space for that single purpose.

 

[cardfan]

Overrated as in lots of hype? AirPods max come to mind. Overpriced. Better ones are cheaper.

Do services count? Apple has a list of duds.

 

[MBAir2010]

By FAR THAT 2010 magsafe MacBook air power chord plug!
this apple product needs no explanation

 

[skaertus]

Overrated as in lots of hype? AirPods max come to mind. Overpriced. Better ones are cheaper.

Do services count? Apple has a list of duds.

Apple TV+?

 

[romanof]

iPad will never be a true replacement for desktop-class computers until the OS supports a true windowing system. This current system is workable, but extremely limited.

I agree. Many times I have heard the statement that "I have given up my laptop and only use a tablet for my work." My comment is (usually silent) that you don't have a lot of work to do, apparently. An iPad is impressive and in the right environment a great tool, but I doubt that it will replace a keyboard and mouse/pad in the near future. When I am in work-mode, my screen arrow is continually moving between desktops and panels, looking, reading, typing, copying, pasting, running. There is no possible chance of me doing that kind of multitasking on a slab with any effiency, no matter what windowing system they come up with. Not until the day comes when you can speak to your device in a normal tone of voice, in a crowded office, and it hears and responds with the same accuracy as a human.

Heck. Siri screws up constantly when I am alone on a jogging path in dead silence. I have long since learned never to press send until I read closely what she is going to send to friends and acquantiances.

 

[skaertus]

iPad will never be a true replacement for desktop-class computers until the OS supports a true windowing system. This current system is workable, but extremely limited. Better files app is crucial as well. I do love mine though and it's my favorite device out of Apple's current lineup, but it could be much better than it is.

MagSafe in its current iteration is just a novelty and nothing more.

For me it's probably the AirPods but I can't wear them due to deformities so I haven't been able to properly test them to see if they hold water.

And that should only be the beginning. Samsung DeX makes Android a windowed system, but it still does not make it a viable operating system that can replace Windows or macOS.