No one is batting an eyelash over the lack of AI at this year's iPhone launch, because it doesn't matter.
Obviously, Apple won the week. When the news wasn't harrowing, it was about the iPhone 17 Air, the camera peninsula/platform/whatever you want to call it, and how the iPhone 17 is already a better deal than the recently announced Pixel 10 because it is! It's $800 for a phone with dual 48-MP cameras, 120Hz ProMotion display, and 256GB of base storage.
It didn't even matter that Apple didn't deliver on its promises of AI. Samsung and Google's social media accounts cheekily attempted to call it out. It's super neat that you can generate the most random video scene with Gemini on a Pixel, but no one is asking for that. Apple Intelligence remains in its infancy, and it's fine! The only new related feature is Live Translate for the AirPods, which any company should offer if it's claiming a semblance of AI prowess. Even if Apple's Live Translate won't be global at launch, it's an example of the measured approach the company has taken in adopting AI despite its competition making it the sole force. All the reporting told us about how embarrassed Apple was at being left behind in the conversation. If this week's iPhone 17 launch event proved anything, it's that Apple users don't care about that part at all.
iPhone users have long sought a thinner iPhone without compromising on the device's core offerings. I have already written about how Apple presented a different story with the iPhone 17 Air, compared to Samsung's launch of the lackluster Galaxy Edge, by pursuing this strategy. We still have to wait and see what the reviews will tell us about the iPhone Air's battery life and camera quality, whether it bends when you sit on it, and if it's a valid trade-off for everything the "full-size" iPhone 17 has to offer. But it all paves the way for where the iPhone is headed. (It's going to fold next year.)
Android manufacturers will have to go harder on the aspects of the ecosystem that offer a better deal. I like Google's Gemini as much as the next person who hasn't entirely written off AI as the humanity-killer it's proclaimed to be. However, as I mentioned in my Pixel 10 review, most of my interaction with it occurs on the desktop. AI is not what sells me on the phones, even if it is what Google is doing best right now. The camera algorithms, larger batteries, and the ability to customize the phone make Pixels, Samsungs, and other phone makers a reason to use anything but an Apple device. The time to double down on all those elements has never been more critical than now.
The other big news this week, which we covered on the show, is that Nova Launcher is going the way of the Dodo. It's sad news, and another indication of how the Android ecosystem is deviating from its original form.
Jason and Ron interview Beeper’s new CEO, Kishan Bagaria, about the app’s evolution, the potential of AI integration, and the shift to on-device privacy.
