Apple's $3,500 Future: A Growing List of Disappointed Owners
Apple’s New Product Struggles to Find Its Place in Daily Life
Apple has long been known for its strategic approach when launching products that don’t immediately resonate with the public. The company often chooses to ship early, focus on the long-term vision, and ask users to trust in the future. This method has worked before, sometimes spectacularly. The Apple Watch, for instance, took years to find its footing, while AirPods initially looked absurd but eventually became essential.
Apple has built a reputation for sticking with ideas long enough for the world to catch up. However, this strategy only works if people continue to engage with the product. Right now, that engagement is lacking.
A High-Price Device That Fails to Capture Daily Use
One of Apple's most expensive devices, the iPhone 17 Pro, has a small flaw that turns every recording into a frustrating experience. The issue isn’t that the product is poorly made; it is impressive and polished, performing many tasks well. The problem lies in its lack of daily relevance.
Users are not reaching for it as a reflex. It doesn’t change behavior or become an integral part of their routine. Instead, it is used deliberately, occasionally, and then put back down. This is a concerning sign for a company that thrives on habit formation.
Apple dominates markets not by winning over spec sheets or shipping novelty items, but by embedding itself into daily life until its absence feels uncomfortable. The iPhone works because it never leaves you. AirPods work because you forget they’re there. The Watch works because closing rings becomes subconscious. Apple understands this better than almost anyone in tech, which is why this situation should be worrying.
The Long Game in Fitness and Platform Development
Apple’s long-term strategy in fitness could give it a significant advantage that Peloton was never built to compete with. However, a device that fails to earn daily relevance becomes optional. Optional products do not anchor platforms. Without platform gravity, developers are less likely to take risks.
Once this cycle starts, no amount of industrial design can save the product. This is not a sales argument. Apple can sell expensive hardware to early adopters, but the real question is what happens after the initial excitement fades.
Right now, the answer seems to be silence. Fewer moments where the device feels necessary and more moments where it feels like a very nice object waiting for a reason to be used.
The Limitations of Hardware Solutions
Apple cannot solve this issue through hardware alone. A thinner version will not address the core problem. A better chip will not suddenly make users miss the device when it’s not in use.
The challenge here is not just about design or performance; it’s about creating an experience that makes the device feel indispensable rather than impressive. This is a software and purpose problem, and Apple has yet to land on the right solution.
You can hear this uncertainty in how Apple talks about the product. The company keeps listing what it can do instead of explaining what breaks when it’s gone.
Apple is usually ruthless about identifying and eliminating friction. Here, the friction is emotional and behavioral, and it remains unresolved.
The Risk of Neglecting Habit Formation
Apple has overcome deeper challenges before. But the longer a product sits unused, the harder it is to rewire user behavior later. Attention is a muscle, and neglected muscles atrophy quickly.
The future of computing does not live on a shelf. Apple knows this. The real test is whether it can make people reach for this device without thinking before they stop thinking about it altogether.
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