Last year was a strange year for Apple as it focused primarily on maintaining its dominance in the smartphone market by dipping its toes into XR and AI. Regulators from around the world have been knocking on the doors of Cupertino’s walled garden, and we’ve seen the first cracks with the release of iOS 18. The iPhone 16 series brought more improvements that garnered enough interest from consumers but fell short of initial expectations.
The M4 series chips continued to offer incredibly fast performance for Macs and iPads, while the new AirPods 4 provided excellent sound and active noise cancellation without silicone ear tips. All was not sunshine in the world of Cupertino as the Apple Intelligence and Vision Pro could safely be classified as flops. Let’s take a deeper look at the best and not-so-best from Apple in 2024.
Winner: iOS 18
Third party app stores? Alternative default apps? RCS messaging? All of these are now part of iOS, at least in some regions. Features that once seemed like a distant mirage to iPhone users are here, whether Apple likes it or not. The European Commission has been the driving force behind the changes, as have regulators in other parts of the world, and 2024 marks a major turning point for Apple’s most popular operating system.
The feature gap between iOS and Android is smaller in 2024 than it was a few years ago. You can even rearrange icons without any network restrictions, which should have been a feature on iPhones from the beginning.
You’re free to set alternative default apps for your browser, camera, gallery and messaging apps, a big win for those who oppose Apple’s walled garden. We’re excited to see that iOS is now a freer and more customizable operating system, and we look forward to what’s next.
Loser: Apple Intelligence
You’ve probably seen those funny notification summaries from Apple Intelligence, and they’re kind of indicative of the feature as a whole: it’s incomplete. Surprisingly unlike Apple, Apple intelligence was marketed as a key feature for the iPhone 16 series without being there on day one.
At the time of writing, more than three months have passed since its official launch and iOS 18.2 is already out, Apple Intelligence is still missing a few key features. Perhaps more pressing is that AI features remain exclusive to a few English-speaking countries. Users in Europe and China will have to wait until April 2025, which is a major setback. Mass deployment struggles aside, Apple’s AI features feel rudimentary and lag behind rivals like OpenAI and Google.
Winner: iPhone 16
The base iPhones have been among Apple’s best sellers for years, and this year is no different. The iPhone 16 it’s arguably the best non-Pro iPhone, with a more capable A18 chipset, 8GB of RAM, an ultra-wide camera with autofocus, and a new Camera Control button.
Add in a longer-lasting battery and you’re left with a great premium and (sort of) compact device that’s missing just one thing — a high-refresh-rate display. But hey, Apple calls them ProIt shows movement, so let’s not get ahead of ourselves here.
Loser: Apple Vision Pro
Despite all the hype surrounding its US launch in February, the Vision Pro fell off the cliff shortly after. Despite its subsequent expansion into several Asian and European markets, Apple’s $3,500/€4,000 location computer is an expensive first-generation niche product with limited use cases, meaning most consumers aren’t interested in it. In addition to being absurdly expensive, Apple’s XR headset is heavy, clunky, and isolating, and it currently lacks any real game-changing apps.
Most recently rumoursthe more affordable Vision Pro is at least two years away, so Apple will likely bide its time before we see a more polished headset for prime time.
Winner: M4 chips/Mac mini 2024
The M1 series of chips laid the foundation for the ARM revolution in personal computers and M4 generation brought significant CPU and GPU gains compared to previous chips.
The M4 Max chip can be configured with up to 16 CPU cores, 40 GPU cores and a staggering 128GB of unified storage with a throughput of 546GB/s. Those numbers are ridiculous, but if you have the right workflow and can live with macOS, Apple offers some crazy potential for creative work.
Along with the M4 chips, Apple also announced its smallest desktop to date Mac mini With M4 and M4 Pro chips. At just 12.7 cm (5 inches) per side and weighing 670 grams, the new Mac mini lives up to its name. And as we see M4 Mac mini reviewwhile the device costs a reasonable $599 in its base configuration, it’s a capable workhorse with silent operation and a decent selection of ports.
Winner: AirPods 4
One of the biggest problems with in-ear headphones is their fit. Many people simply cannot live with silicone tips stuck in their ears for more than a few hours, but not having a good seal in your ear is a recipe for bad noise cancellation.
Apple was able to solve this problem with its own help AirPods 4 with ANCdeveloped with special ear-mapping technology that ensures an optimal fit for different ear types, while still managing to add capable noise cancellation. The new drivers also deliver improved sound quality, which along with longer battery life and a USB-C charging case make it one of Apple’s best AirPods to date.
Apple iPhone 16
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