The Power Of Software To Build Experiences

While there’s always much to take away from Apple’s keynote talks, the Cupertino firm’s March 25 event was, excuse the unintended pun, ‘notable’, for the lack of one thing.

- Benjamin Kerry & Gavin Lenaghan

APPLE’S MARCH KEYNOTE SAID A LOT ABOUT ITS PRIORITIES

While there’s always much to take away from Apple’s keynote talks, the Cupertino firm’s March 25 event was, excuse the unintended pun, ‘notable’, for the lack of one thing. With the smartphone market currently saturated with devices and product sales continuing to slow globally, Apple presented new and revamped products and services to the audience – minus any focus on the iPhone or iPad.

Guests at the Steve Jobs Theater were instead introduced to Apple News+, the brand new Apple Card, Apple Arcade, the Apple TV app, and Apple TV+. Encompassing media, various forms of entertainment, and retail, each service is set to be launched before the end of the year. Apple customers will soon be able to access new ways of gaming, shopping, reading, and watching TV – crucially, via their iPhone, iPad, or other Apple device.

This is where the delicate strategy that Apple has put together starts to reveal itself. Instead of investing huge amounts of money to compete in such an emerging product category as foldable smartphones, which could yet turn out to be nothing more than a 2019 fad, Apple has dedicated its attention to user experience, and the integrated Apple ecosystem.

EXPERIENCE AND EMERGENCE COMBINE

It could certainly be argued that Apple’s latest move is both bold and risky, but it may also prove to be extremely fortuitous for the Californian giant in the longer term. The new services actually enable users to get more out of the devices that they already own, which may be more sustainable than Apple simply continuing to attempt to persuade its customers to buy a new device annually or, more traditionally, every couple of years.