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An Apple event is always full of potential. Even though rumors and leaks often leave little “new” for event day, Apple still often offers surprises. Maybe a new feature that no one knew about. Or a unique angle that a rumor didn’t quite get right. Unfortunately, with the launch of the iPhone 16 this week, the event’s “surprises” left me largely frustrated.
Sometimes no announcement is better news
Before the event on Monday we had a good idea of what to expect.
Four iPhone 16 devices are said to be released, plus new Apple Watch and AirPods models.
There was little left to surprise. Except for some disappointments.
The general consensus was that we would see new AirPods Max 2, Apple Watch Ultra 3, and an Apple Watch SE 3.
None of these products were ultimately announced.
But that wasn’t the only surprise.
Sometimes a product is expected to be announced, but then nothing happens. That usually means one thing: the new devices are not quite ready yet.
They still exist, and after a little more waiting, they will be here soon.
However, Apple made it clear that this was a different story.
The two most anticipated of the three products, AirPods Max 2 and Apple Watch Ultra 3, are completely ruled out for the foreseeable future.
Why? Because Apple announced disappointing updates to the existing AirPods Max and Apple Watch Ultra 2.
The AirPods Max and Apple Watch Ultra ‘updates’
The latest AirPods Max still have the same basic hardware, but they now charge via USB-C. And they come in new color options.
That’s after four years on the market with no changes. Oh, and they still sell for $549.
It’s one thing to offer new colors and change the charging port on a product that’s a year old. Maybe even a product that’s two years old. But AirPods Max have sat idle for four long years without an update. And they still cost the same as they ever did.
While AirPods Pro 2 users have enjoyed modern features powered by the H2 chip for years. These include Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness and the just-released Voice Isolation, support for non-verbal responses to Siri, and more.
To make matters worse, at the same event where Apple announced the “update” to the AirPods Max, it also released new AirPods 4 that include the H2 chip and all its other great features. They cost a fraction of the price of the AirPods Max.
It’s a similar story for the Apple Watch.
Last year’s Apple Watch Ultra 2 got valuable screen time at the iPhone 16 event, with Apple making it clear it’s the best sports watch around, introducing a new satin black finish.
The black Apple Watch Ultra looks great. But Apple also announced a new Apple Watch Series 10 with:
- a similar beautiful black finish
- a larger screen than the Ultra has
- a newer, more capable S10 chip than the S9 Ultra
And all this for a price that’s nearly half the $799 the Ultra 2 costs.
Setting launch expectations
Apple’s announcements suggest that the AirPods Max 2 and Apple Watch Ultra 3, if they exist, aren’t coming anytime soon.
Does Apple have an obligation to deliver rumored products? Of course not. I am not suggesting that at all.
But the company has a history of creating expectations for its events.
Strategic leaks would occur when a rumored announcement generated a lot of buzz, but Apple knew it wouldn’t come to fruition. So, somehow, through the grapevine, they shared news that better set expectations.
That didn’t happen this time around. And the company’s longstanding commitment to secrecy meant that some of the event’s biggest surprises weren’t all that fun.
What do you think of the iPhone 16 event? Would fewer announcements have been better? Let us know in the comments.
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