Vision Pro itself is a good metaphor: you think you’re seeing the future, but in reality, you only see what’s right in front of you.
Recently, Apple unveiled the highly anticipated Vision Pro at WWDC. While most people were focused on the device’s design, performance, and price, there was one exceptionally peculiar detail that went unnoticed: this new product won’t hit the market until early next year.
For a highly anticipated flagship Apple product, such a long gap between the announcement and availability is rare. Experience tells us that hidden within small details often lies the truth. Hence, we can’t help but wonder: what issues might be lurking behind this decision?
Is it a technological problem, a production issue, or a content-related challenge? Or could it be that this is actually an “early bird”? For some reason, Apple’s management had to deliver it prematurely.
While there is no public evidence to support any claims, logical deduction suggests that the first three reasons are unlikely explanations for a product that is already available for testing. The last reason, however, carries more credibility.
So, what made Tim Cook bring forth this “early bird” from the secretive “spaceship” headquarters? I believe the answer lies in covering up strategic mistakes.
In reality, with the advent of ChatGPT, the era of mobile internet has come to an end, and the new AI era has dawned. However, Apple appears quite bewildered in the face of this AI era.
Apple has already ventured into the field of AI, as evidenced by media reports on their autonomous driving research. However, in late July last year, Tim Higgins, a journalist from The Wall Street Journal, revealed that Apple had considered acquiring Tesla, but Elon Musk demanded to become Apple’s CEO. Cook reportedly hung up the phone and even used foul language. Musk later denied the rumor, stating that it was fabricated.
However, if Apple had indeed acquired Tesla back then, the situation might be entirely different now. But even if they missed that opportunity, Apple still had Siri in their hands. Siri is said to have been a project personally supervised by Steve Jobs and was unveiled the day before his passing. However, Siri squandered its initial advantage. Recently, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella bluntly stated that the current Siri is “dumb as a rock.”
The corporate malady of big companies in internal management is evident in these AI innovation projects. Meanwhile, Apple has also taken the wrong path in terms of technological strategy. Unlike most manufacturers who implement AI in the cloud, Apple insists on pursuing AI on the device, believing it can ensure user privacy and security.
Protecting user privacy is a good idea. However, protecting privacy and implementing cloud-based AI are not mutually exclusive. Yet, from a management perspective, enabling AI on the device is not only easier to gain consumer trust but also more favorable for selling high-performance end devices. From a marketing standpoint, it may seem like a more accessible shortcut. However, the paths that are easy to tread are often not the right ones. Apple’s AI technology strategy provides another proof for this adage.
Mistakes often require more mistakes to cover them up. We have witnessed how Apple has slid into strategic errors time and again. For a former “dominant force of the era,” this is undoubtedly unsettling news. Therefore, whether faced with investor pressure or to boost internal morale, they need to provide a “highlight” as soon as possible, even if it comes in the form of an “early bird.”
During the presentation, they might mention terms like deep computation but consciously avoid the more commonly used phrase “AI.” Unfortunately, the world doesn’t stop evolving because you choose to stay silent. Pretending to ignore it will only widen the gap between the team and AI.
I can only hope that during this long period, they are quietly preparing a game-changer.
The presentation has ended. If there are any post-event fruits, please inform the kitchen that what we want is AI, not some XX spatial computing!