What will Apple do on March 8? Even though that launch is just around the corner, we still ask ourselves this question, sometimes literally moments after a product reveal ends and we're all eagerly awaiting the next thing. When the iPhone 13 was released in September of last year, there were stories this afternoon about what the iPhone 14 would look like.
In other words, speculation is rampant, whether before, during, or after an Apple product launch. I may be projecting a bit here, but this time, on March 8, it feels different, bigger, more important.
This can be the number of product categories, either existing or potentially new. It could also be Apple's first big launch since the "end of the pandemic." I know, the pandemic is not over, but there has been a significant change in its progress and in our approach: offices, highways and suburban lines are full again. The masks disappear inside the offices. We are taking a leap towards normality. What new Apple products do we want or need in this new world?
Maybe you're reading this and you don't feel it. All I can say is that I have seen many Apple product events, most in person, some online. Many of them occurred in the first half of the year. We've seen Macbook Airs, iPads, iPod Shuffles. But there is a density in the potential number of product launches this time around that heralds a launch event of extraordinary magnitude:
Obviously, this is all based on rumors and educated speculation, and Apple may only release a few products, and we'll end up wondering, "What's all the fuss about?" I doubt it because Apple is not just a market mover, it is a market listener.
Apple CEO Tim Cook may not be the showman his predecessor, the late Steve Jobs, was, but he knows consumers and can read a national and international environment as well as he can read a play. The market is ready for something more from Apple.
Is the time
It's been seven years since Apple tackled an entirely new product category with its Apple Watch, a product that dominates smartwatch shipments and the traditional watch market. It's a reminder that Apple has no problem winning a market once it enters. Unfortunately, Apple's new market expansion can only be measured at a glacial pace.
Apple fans feed on rumor snippets from new categories analyzed over the years. However, something has changed in recent months and in the weeks leading up to what might normally be considered a relatively sleepy March/Spring event; people are starting to imagine something big.
Again, we're talking about Apple Cars, Apple's augmented, virtual, and mixed reality headsets, and even a possible Apple Smart TV (well, that last one might just be me).
I think the need for a fresh start in our lives turned into anticipation for the product. All eyes are on Apple to kick off the product year in a way that perhaps CES, Samsung and Mobile World Congress didn't.
Apple's role has never been that of a simple consumer electronics company. He is an icon to some, a target of derision to others. Good luck finding someone who doesn't have an opinion on Apple. You elicit passion because people expect you to deliver products that elicit a passionate response.
Tim Cook's work
Cook, when you take the stage on March 8 at 10:00 am PST, you may not recognize the millions of eyes watching you through the video, but you'll know they're there, watching you with thrilling anticipation.
He will have business to attend to and, knowing Cook, he might as well start with the Ukraine, as the reality of this international calamity threatens to overshadow interest and activity around the world. However, Apple is an optimistic company and will quickly turn the good news into global change and how Apple and its customers are getting back to normal.
His next words will be about how Apple is responding to our new normal with a new set of tech wizardry. This can't be an ordinary collection of mediocre updates.
We need new products, new technologies, vibrant colors that remind us that we are alive and more. It's the perfect time for Apple to set a new course with one (maybe two) new product categories that remind us that Apple isn't just a peddler of sexy gadgets and ever-expanding (and lucrative) services. He is an innovator.
Apple, we're ready for you to lead us into the next quarter of this XNUMXst century. Do not let us down.