The Apple 2024 conference was highly anticipated. Too much, perhaps? Between half-hearted promises and timid innovations, and unspoken delays, the Cupertino giant seems to be struggling to maintain its reputation.

Apple’s annual high mass has just ended, and it is clear that the breath of innovation seems to be running out of steam in Cupertino. For 1h30, Tim Cook and his team sold us a dream, but a dream that strangely resembles that of last year, only slightly brighter.

Apple Keynote: a quick reminder of the announcements

The flagship products of the Apple keynote were obviously the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus. We take a look at the main information to remember in our dedicated video. One of the big new features to remember is the capacitive Camera Control button on the side.

Also note that the prices for the iPhone 16 were soon communicated. On the other hand, it is a little more vague on the side of Apple Intelligence which will be accessible in 2025 without more precise information on the date or the exact countries of availability.

The iPhone 16: something new with something old?

Let’s be honest: when Tim Cook announced that the iPhone 16 had been “redesigned from the ground up for Apple Intelligence”, we expected to see a revolutionary smartphone arrive. Instead, what did we get? An iPhone that looks just like its predecessor, with a few cosmetic tweaks and a slightly faster chip.

Certainly, the Pro models have slightly larger screens. But is that really innovation in 2024? The days when Steve Jobs pulled a MacBook Air out of an envelope, causing gasps from the room, seem long gone.

AI: Apple plays cat and mouse

Let’s talk about this famous “Apple Intelligence”. We feel that Apple wanted to catch up on the hot topic of AI.

Visual Intelligence? A copy and paste from Google Lens. The cleaning tool for photos? A Magic Eraser with Apple sauce. Rewriting texts by AI? Samsung has been doing this for months. And don’t get me started on improved Siri, which finally seems to have caught up to Google’s Assistant… from last year. We’re not even talking about Gemini.The most frustrating part? Most of these features won’t even be available at launch. Apple is promising us a gradual rollout, as if we were still in 2010 and discovering OTA updates. It feels like many of the software innovations will come much later, much, much later.

The magic is gone

What really strikes me is Apple’s approach to privacy with these AI features. Using servers dedicated solely to Apple Intelligence, with no query storage, is clever. It shows that Apple has learned from its competitors’ missteps. But is that enough to justify this slow start?

And let’s be clear: if you’re not in the U.S. and don’t speak English, you can forget about most of these features for now. France, and probably the rest of Europe, will have to wait until 2025 to experience this “revolution.” And even then, with European data protection rules, some features may never see the light of day.

I seriously wonder: Is Apple still capable of surprising us? The problem is that the hardware in today’s high-end smartphones is already more than enough for most users. The photos are beautiful, the screens are sharp, the processors are powerful. So yes, Apple has to focus on minor details like refresh rates to justify the difference between the standard iPhone and the Pro.

But is that really the future of innovation? Minor tweaks and AI features that are two years behind the competition?

The real disappointment, in the end, is realizing that even giants can lose their magic. Apple used to push the limits, to define the future. Today, the company seems content to follow it, taking timid steps. More than ever, Apple seems to be copying and pasting existing features, wrapped in flashy marketing.

Apple is a victim of its own success. iPhones have become so good that incremental improvements are no longer enough to justify an upgrade. The photos are already stunning, the screens ultra-sharp, the processors incredibly powerful. So, what’s left? Yes, it’s very polished, but it’s boring… And in the world of tech, boredom might be the worst sin of all.

Meanwhile, Huawei is trying to steal the spotlight from Apple with the launch of a tri-fold foldable smartphone. It may seem superfluous, but in reality, it’s exciting.

These Apple innovations steal the spotlight from the iPhone

Among all the announcements made during the latest Apple keynote, it’s undoubtedly the new health features of the AirPods Pro that steal the show. Transforming the AirPods Pro into certified hearing aids is simply revolutionary.

But Apple doesn’t stop there. The introduction of a built-in hearing test directly into the AirPods Pro is an innovation that could literally change lives. How many people neglect their hearing health due to a lack of time, resources, or simply ignorance? With this new feature, Apple is providing millions of users with an early screening tool for hearing issues. It’s a proactive approach to health that could have a significant impact on the prevention and early management of hearing disorders.

Finally, the default active hearing protection feature is the cherry on top. By integrating these advanced health features into a product as widespread and beloved as the AirPods Pro, Apple has the potential to change lives.