¶ My Last-Minute WWDC21 Wishlist

There’s nothing like waiting until just a couple of hours before the WWDC21 keynote to share my wishlist, but hey, I put the Pro in Procrastination.

iPadOS

At the very top of my wishlist is iPadOS becoming a much more capable system to do things. For years iPad hardware has been way ahead of iPad software. I’ve still not fully tapped the potential in my 2020 iPad Pro, and this year’s M1-based iPad Pro moves that goalpost even further.

Some things that would help are bringing pro apps to the iPad because there is inherent infrastructure needed to support those kinds of apps that would benefit everyone.

I’d like Apple to bring Xcode, Terminal, Final Cut, and Logic to the iPad. To really get my attention, introduce some frameworks that make it possible for something like Audio Hijack to exist on iPadOS.

And then there are UI things that would be nice. Making multitasking easier would be great. And being able to put widgets on the Home Screen just like the iPhone would be fantastic. And while we’re at it, I’d love to have the App Library from iPhone as a place in the Dock.

macOS

For the most part, I am a big fan of macOS Big Sur’s new UI. But there are a few areas that could use some improvement.

The notification UI drives me up the wall. I’d like a big X in the corner all the time with a nice, big click target to dismiss the notification. Right now, the on-hover dismissal button takes too long to appear, and is difficult to click accurately. Also, revise the options for snoozing to something more sensible.

I’d also like to have a keyboard shortcut to bring up Control Center and navigate it with my keyboard easily.

Finally, let me drop widgets on my desktop. Files and folders live on the right side of my desktop by default, and the left side is wide open. It’s a perfect place to drop some widgets.

iOS, watchOS, and tvOS

I can’t say I have anything huge from an operating system level for these three systems. I’m confident that Apple will have some nice things in store that I didn’t know I wanted.

Apps

Last year Apple did a great job dogfooding Catalyst with iMessage on macOS.

This year I’d like to see that go further. Catalyst feels like a stopgap on the SwiftUI train to the future, and I’m hoping Apple will show us the potential of SwiftUI by dogfooding it on a major app or two. Two that I can think of off the top of my head: Calendar and Contacts. These apps currently look and behave quite differently on Mac and iOS/iPadOS, that a re-envisioning in SwiftUI seems appropriate.

I can’t tell you how much I would love to do things like duplicate calendar events or manage contact groups on iOS without needing to use a third-party app. (I know, I’m really living the dream, here, aren’t I?)

And I’d also love it if the calendar event editor on Mac were the same as on iOS. Right now, the notification options are different, and so is the travel time field.

Tools

TestFlight for Mac. Seriously, that’s the entire section.

Conclusion

All of these systems are fairly mature, and the main things needed are refinement. Ultimately, it is better for everyone when Apple dedicates itself to using the same tools they give developers. Catalyst made a considerable leap forward when Apple used it to make iMessage on the Mac — an app that can’t afford to suck. For SwiftUI to take its next big step, I think Apple needs to use it for another big app on the system. And the iPad needs to come into its own as something unhindered by the limitations needed for phones.

As a final note, I want to say thank you to everyone at Apple that has made WWDC21 possible. I can’t wait to celebrate your work.

Dark Sky Acquired by Apple→

My favorite weather app, Dark Sky, had a big announcement today. Adam Grossman on the Dark Sky blog:

Today we have some important and exciting news to share: Dark Sky has joined Apple.

Our goal has always been to provide the world with the best weather information possible, to help as many people as we can stay dry and safe, and to do so in a way that respects your privacy.

There is no better place to accomplish these goals than at Apple. We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to reach far more people, with far more impact, than we ever could alone.

All in all, it makes sense why Apple would want to own the full stack for weather data. Over the years Apple has partnered with providers such as Yahoo! and The Weather Channel. And let’s face it, there are apps — even weather apps, including The Weather Channel’s apps — that abuse location privacy. Dark Sky is a huge player in the weather data arena and they always had a staunch stance on respecting user privacy. That’s why I use Dark Sky as my primary weather app.

So, what’s happening to the app, and more importantly, the service behind it that powers many other weather apps such as CARROT Weather and Weather Line?

• The iOS app is staying the same, for now. It is available for $4 on the App Store.
• The Android app is gone. It cannot be downloaded anymore. And the service for it will be discontinued on July 1, 2020. Sorry, droids.
• The website is also largely being shuttered on July 1, 2020. That’s too bad, because it is a nice site.
• And finally the API that powers other apps’ weather data will be kept alive until the end of 2021.

I’ll admit I am both excited and trepidatious with today’s announcement. On one hand, I fear the app I use daily and have used for over 8 years will end up disappearing and just become the data layer behind the beautiful yet too simplistic Weather app on my iPhone.

On the other hand I am excited that maybe Dark Sky’s story will turn out much like Workflow’s did. Workflow was acquired by Apple and largely left intact yet supercharged with system access as it became Shortcuts. Shortcuts today is very familiar to Worklfow users of old.

My hope is that Dark Sky becomes the new Weather app. Of course, I do think Apple may update the theme a bit to be a little more Apple-y, but I hope it retains its extensive forecast visuals and radar. And perhaps this means the iPad would finally have a built-in weather app. And heck, why not flex some Mac Catalyst muscle and bring it to the Mac?

I’m very happy for the Dark Sky team, as this is a huge win for them. And I hope the days ahead for the Dark Sky app I know and love are very bright.

Apple delivers a new redesigned Maps for all users in the United States→

Apple has been gradually rolling out their re-built Maps data across the United States for the past year or so. Today, Apple announced that work is complete.

Apple today announced that all users in the United States can now experience a redesigned Maps with faster and more accurate navigation and comprehensive views of roads, buildings, parks, airports, malls and more, making it easier and more enjoyable to map out any journey. Apple completed the rollout of this new Maps experience in the United States and will begin rolling it out across Europe in the coming months.

I will say the new Maps data is terrific. It is a huge upgrade over the old data. While most buildings in my area are represented by fairly generic boxes, there is a good deal of detail in important landmarks such as Memorial Stadium (of Cornhusker fame) and the Nebraska State Capitol building. They even got a good representation of the statue of the Sower on the top of the building.

Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska

Nebraska State Capitol in Lincoln, Nebraska

But today is not the first I have seen of this new map data. Apple began a soft rollout for the new maps in my region (Nebraska) last month, and they were active on my iPad Pro, but not my Mac or iPhone. And then last week the new maps reverted back to the old maps on my iPad Pro, which was odd.

One change that came today — for everyone in the US, from what I can tell on Twitter — is the addition of stoplights and stop signs when getting directions. This is represented nicely, and Siri will even tell you to “turn right at the stop sign”. It’s a subtle way of telling the driver about traffic signs and signals, which also sounding more natural.

Directions showing traffic signals and stop signs along the route.

Apple also highlighted a few more features of the new Maps in their press release today, many of which have been around since earlier releases of iOS 13:

• Explore major cities with Look Around
  This is basically Apple’s answer to Google Maps’ Street View. It only works in a few cities, currently: New York City, the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Houston and Oahu.

  If you zoom into one of those areas and tap the binoculars icon that appears, you can try it out for yourself. It seems a lot nicer than Google’s Street View, and I can’t wait for that to roll out to more places.

• Users can share places they love with collections
  These are simple collections of places you can create and share. My only complaint is that when you share a collection, the recipient’s copy is standalone — meaning if they add something it doesn’t sync back to you. This feature would be more useful if it allowed collaboration, much like Notes and Reminders does.
• One-tap navigation to frequent places with Favorites
  Pretty much what it says on the tin. Pretty handy for places you frequent.
• Real-time transit information
  This is active in my city and appears to work pretty well.
• Share ETA
  This is a really nice feature. When you start directions, you can tap a Share ETA button, and choose a recipient. They will then be able to see you in Maps and see your estimated time of arrival. This worked a treat earlier this month when I needed to rendezvous with my dad for a road trip.
• Flight status
  Siri intelligences does a bunch of on-device processing, looking at Mail, Calendar, and Wallet passes for flight info, then keeps you up to date on terminal, gate, or departure changes. I’ll give this a go in a couple weeks.
• Indoor maps
  Zooming in on some airports and malls with now have a Look Inside label, and shows you the interior of the locations. This can come in handy when you need to find a certain shop, or plan out your rush through an airport between flights.

All in all, I’m really excited about the future of Apple Maps. If you are in the United States and the previous incarnation of Apple Maps left a bad impression, it’s worth your time to give it a fresh try.

The Surprise→

Apple launched its holiday ad today, titled The Surprise. It is extremely touching, and I got choked up while watching it. Yes, I get choked up pretty easily with good storytelling, which this ad does well.

The Surprise is very reminiscent of Apple’s 2013 holiday ad, Misunderstood, which won an Emmy. I’d be surprised if this year’s ad doesn’t receive consideration for the award.

US Veterans Can Now Access VA Health Records with iPhone Health App→

Apple Newsroom:

Apple and the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) today announced that veterans across the nation and surrounding territories now have access to the Health Records feature in the Health app on iPhone. The VA gradually launched Health Records to select patients this summer, and now veterans who are iOS users and receive their care through the Veterans Health Administration can see a fuller, more comprehensive picture of their health that includes information from multiple providers.

The Health Records feature of the Health app on iPhone isn’t new, but it is interesting and still gaining traction. For instance, there are a few specialty clinics in my city that offer access, but none of the major healthcare providers do. Go an hour northeast to Omaha and some of the larger healthcare providers there have embraced Health Records integration.

Partnering with the VA is a big leap in bringing this feature to more people, and hopefully this move will get even more providers moving toward offering this as an option to their patients.

Getting it set up looks to be very straightforward, too.

By signing into their providers’ patient portals in the Health app, veterans can see all of their health records in one place, including medications, immunizations, lab results and more. The Health app continually updates these records giving VA patients access to a single, integrated snapshot of their health profile whenever they want, quickly and privately.

¶ Last Week’s iPhone and Watch Event

Apple held their annual iPhone — and now Apple Watch — event last week on September 10. This is easily Apple’s biggest event of the year where they roll out the latest and greatest iPhones and other hardware, just in time for people to begin thinking about the Christmas shopping season.

Apple has posted the full event on YouTube, along with a humorous 2 minute summary that is worth watching. I have some quick thoughts on everything that was announced, so let’s get started.

Apple Arcade

On September 19th Apple Arcade will ship within iOS 13. Apple has worked with a lot of game developers to launch 100+ new games exclusive to Apple platforms this fall. And these aren’t just for iPhones and iPads. They’ll be available on Mac and Apple TV, too. And this year’s new operating systems support pairing Playstation and Xbox One controllers, which is great news for gaming.

While gaming on iOS is popular, it’s rife with sleazy grifts of in-app purchases and sketchy ads that are probably harvesting all sorts of data. Apple Arcade solves this with high-quality games without ads or in-app purchases. And the price is extremely compelling: $4.99 per month, and it covers up to six people with Family Sharing.

I don’t play many games on iOS (even less on Apple TV and none on Mac). My son, however, loves gaming on his iPad mini. I’m often reluctant to install new games on his iPad because they are often, for lack of better words, crappy. While my family may not hop on Apple Arcade right away, I can see it being a peace of mind alternative to all these games with questionable motives.

Apple TV+

As if anyone needs yet another TV subscription, Apple is coming out with their own. The big difference between Apple TV+ and contenders like Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+ is Apple does not have a vast content back catalog to lean on. All they have is all-new original content. But that content looks good. And the price is pretty great, too. $4.99 per month for the whole family. And, starting now, if you buy an iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, or Mac, a whole year of Apple TV+ is included. Boom.

iPad

The iPad lineup has settled into having something for everyone. The iPad as the entry level, the iPad mini for folks who like petite tablets, the iPad Air for people wanting a bit more productivity, and the iPad Pro for those looking to use an iPad as a laptop replacement.

One of the lines got a little more blurred with last week’s update to the entry-level iPad. Going from a 9.7-inch screen to a 10.2-inch screen and gaining a Smart Connector for use with the Smart Keyboard Cover makes the iPad a close contender with the 10.5-inch iPad Air. And the iPad maintained its $329 starting price. That’s pretty fantastic.

It’s definitely a no-brainer for someone’s first iPad.

Apple Watch Series 5

The Apple Watch remains one of my favorite devices. Like the rest of the internet, I was struggling to think of what exactly could be improved on from last year’s Series 4. I had settled on the idea of improved power management to enable sleep tracking. I wasn’t wrong on improved power management, but I was dead wrong on what it would be used for.

The Apple Watch Series 5 has an always-on display, which is a really nice touch. Anyone who has ever worn an Apple Watch knows that it needs a certain amount of tilt and motion to figure out you want to see the display and light it up. There’s no way to really sneak a casual peek at the time. Now that won’t be a problem.

Apple also added a built-in compass and the cellular communications work better in more places, but other than that there isn’t much new on the technology side.

On the materials side the lineup expands from aluminum and stainless steel to include titanium and the return of ceramic. Titanium and ceramic bear the Edition name, which translates to a giant sack of money for a watch. While I will never own an Edition model, I must admit I yearn for that white ceramic case. I’ll satiate that desire by trying one on at the Apple Store for a few moments.

I’ll be sticking with my Series 4. It does its job amazingly well and will be even better with watchOS 6. But if you have a Series 2 or older, definitely consider the Series 5. Apple is keeping the Series 3 around at $199, which I imagine made some Fitbit execs lose sleep.

iPhone 11

I love my iPhone XS and it was the right choice for me, but it certainly is not the right choice for most people. For the past year the iPhone for most people has been the iPhone XR, but Apple’s initial marketing seemed to position it as the lesser sibling of the XS. And that seemed to stick among people I know. They felt the iPhone XS was the good phone, and the XR was an also-ran, even though I greatly encouraged folks to check out the XR.

Apple’s marketing is on point this year with the iPhone 11, which is the spiritual successor to the iPhone XR, but positioned as the standard iPhone. Naming matters. And it’s truly a great phone with a great camera, a second ultra-wide camera, and a Night Mode that, combined, I think will be very popular. And it has an extra hour of battery life compared to the already impressive XR.

I’ve already heard from friends and family that they think it’s time for them to upgrade and they have their eyes on the colorful lineup of the iPhone 11. Especially since the price is $50 less than the iPhone XR’s previous price point.

iPhone 11 Pro

Whereas the iPhone 11 is a great phone and camera for everyone, naturally there are some people who want a little more. iPhone 11 Pro is for these people. The wide camera lens is joined by not only the new ultra-wide lens from the iPhone 11, but also a telephoto lens á la the iPhone XS. And like the iPhone XS it has an OLED display. It has better water resistance than the 11. For most other specs, though, it has the same guts as the iPhone 11.

It does not, however, have the rainbow of colors of its sibling. The iPhone 11 Pro sticks with the very “pro” colors of silver (white), space grey, and gold — along with a new midnight green. The best description of the new color I’ve seen comes from John Gruber: “Boba Fett-y”.

One spec that is remarkably impressive is battery life. The iPhone 11 Pro boasts 4 more hours than the iPhone XS, and the iPhone 11 Pro Max 5 more hours than the iPhone XS Max. That’s insane for a year-over-year jump.

Now, let’s talk about the naming here. iPhone 11 Pro is the perfect modifier for the luxury model of iPhone this year. The name positions itself as a step up from the iPhone for most everyone, rather than last year’s naming positioning the more affordable option as a step down. There’s a difference.

But iPhone 11 Pro Max? That’s a mouthful. I get that Apple wants to differentiate the smaller and larger screens of iPhone 11 Pro, but do they need to? I would have rather seen both be named simply iPhone 11 Pro, and then talk about the different screen sizes separately, as they do with iMacs, iPad Pros, and MacBook Pros.

The naming of the iPhone 11 Pro Max aside, I think the 2019 lineup of iPhones is stellar. I know a lot of iPhone 7 owners that have held on to them, skipping the iPhone 8/X, and XR/XS. Now in their third year of ownership, they are noticing the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro, and considering upgrading.

---

While I am keen toward the iPhone 11 Pro, I’ll be recommending the iPhone 11 to most people. It has an impressive feature set, a variety of colors, and a more affordable price that is in line with the iPhone 7 of a few years ago. iPhone 11 is the default iPhone, and it deserves to be.

Hey, Apple – The Activity App Needs Rest Days Like Right Now→

My friend Gedeon Maheux wrote yesterday about how he would love for Apple’s Activity app to start offering rest days as part of its goal for helping users becoming more healthy over time.

Contrary to what the folks on Apple’s Activity team may tell you, this isn’t actually healthy. It’s important to give your body (and mind) a break to recover and rebuild every now and then. Which is why iOS desperately needs to build in the concept of rest days into its Activity app.

Let’s just set aside the fact that the Activity app doesn’t even allow you to keep your streaks alive if you become sick or injured. That’s bad enough. But not to be able to give myself a much-needed break after many months of filling my rings is a poor decision on Apple’s part. I had really hoped iOS 13 would introduce Rest Days or Rain Checks or something that would allow us to take a day or two off a month and keep streaks alive, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.

The concept is simple – For every perfect month of activity award I complete, give me one rest day that I can use at any time to take an activity break and recuperate. Over time they would accrue like vacation days and I could even apply them for actual vacations so I don’t have to worry about filling my rings when I’m laying on the beach or waiting in line at Disney World.

I couldn’t agree more. One of the Activity awards I am most proud of achieving is my Longest Move Streak, which I let lapse at 1,000 consecutive days on December 31, 2018. I ended it for several reasons, and one of the biggest ones was ending the streak on my terms, and not losing it due to a sick day. You’ll enjoy the irony here: on January 2nd, 2019, I got the flu and was so weak I barely moved, aside from the frequent trips to the restroom to throw up.

So yeah, if I hadn’t ended my streak on my terms, just two days later I would have had it ended anyway.

A system for rest days would have saved my bacon if I had continued my streak. In fact, another streak I have maintained was saved by the app’s inclusion of rest days. I currently have 1,397 day streak going in Pedometer++. The system “Underscore” David Smith created for Pedometer++ (and Activity++) for rest days is well-balanced, and useful. From the settings screen of Pedometer++:

When enabled, activity streaks will not be broken by a single day missed after six consecutive days of reaching your goal.

I like this system. You have to earn the rest day, but it isn’t an arduous amount to earn it. You could conceivably take one day off each week and maintain a streak. It’s really similar to the idea of a Sabbath — a day of rest. And, of course, you don’t have to use it. But it doesn’t carry over and stack up, as Ged wants for vacations.

Either way, rest days are important for everyone, and sorely needed in Apple’s approach to healthy living in the Activity app. While I still try to complete my Move ring every day, I don’t sweat it if I just need a rest from it now that I’ve sealed away my Longest Move Streak at 1,000 days. For those still striving to keep that streak going, I hope Apple gives them a break with rest days in a future update.

Apple Launches Independent Repair Provider Program→

If you live near an Apple Retail Store or an Apple Authorized Service Provider — such as every Best Buy in the US — you can typically get an Apple device repaired by trained technicians with genuine parts that won’t void your warranty.

But if you don’t live near either of those, you’ve had to rely on either mailing your device off to Apple or taking it to a local place that may or may not be using sketchy parts or practices.

Well, that all changes today with Apple’s launch of its new Independent Repair Provider Program. Apple Newsroom:

Apple will provide more independent repair businesses — large or small — with the same genuine parts, tools, training, repair manuals and diagnostics as its Apple Authorized Service Providers (AASPs). The program is launching in the US with plans to expand to other countries.

This is great news. Now those cellphone repair outfits or local computer repair shops can have access to the same training, equipment, tools, guides, and more as Apple and its authorized providers use. This means that end users like you and me can have a little more trust if needing to have a device repaired.

Another great tidbit is the barrier to entry for independent providers is pretty low.

There is no cost to join Apple’s independent repair program. To qualify for the new program, businesses need to have an Apple-certified technician who can perform the repairs. The process for certification is simple and free of charge. To learn more and apply, visit support.apple.com/irp-program. Qualifying repair businesses will receive Apple-genuine parts, tools, training, repair manuals and diagnostics at the same cost as AASPs.

Now, instead of advising friends and family to only seek repairs from a small list of places, I can check and see if a shop has this certification and access, and feel better about recommending them.

I’ve had friends take their device to independent shops and I have definitely seen some sketchy repairs — such as a Touch ID/Home button that doesn’t feel quite right, making me think it is a knock-off part. And since that is a part that is supposed to be part of the security of the device, it left me with a bad feeling.

I’m very glad Apple has launched this program, and I hope independent repair shops take it seriously and join the program.

¶ The Aluminum Anniversary

July 11, 2008. 4:45 AM. My alarm goes off. In four days at almost this exact minute my son would draw in his first breath. But in this moment, now, I am groggy and slightly hesitant to leave home knowing he could arrive at any time. In retrospect, it was more than a little foolish to be doing what I was doing.

I quickly dressed, gave my wife a kiss on the forehead while she slept, grabbed my Motorola RAZR, and then got in the car and drove an hour to Omaha.

Why?

You know why. That’s where the Apple Store is.

I arrived at [Apple Store Village Pointe] around 6:00 AM. There was a line. I expected a line. Thankfully it wasn’t too long. I was 22nd in line.

After a little while some Apple employees began walking up and down the line, chatting up folks, offering donuts, coffee, and bottled water. I recognized one of them. A few days prior, Apple had posted some tutorial videos about the iPhone 3G, the App Store, and MobileMe ([remember that?]). The guy I recognized was the guy from the MobileMe videos. When he got to me, I pointed this out, and he confirmed it and told me his name was John. He still works in the Omaha store, and whenever I’m there we catch up. I still call him MobileMe John.

After standing in line for a few hours, the store finally opened. It didn’t take long before I was paired up with an employee. I bought a 16GB iPhone 3G, in black, naturally. Of course, AT&T’s activation servers had already turned into molten slag, so setup didn’t get very far. The employee offered that I could stay and finish setup there whenever the servers connected again, or if I was comfortable with it I could finish the process of activating and porting my number at home via iTunes.

I thanked him, he gave me a high five, and I left the store, got more coffee, and drove home. Once I got back to my apartment I plugged my new iPhone into my MacBook, and started the setup process on iTunes. Activation was still unsuccessful, but trying. I decided to sleep while it did its thing. A couple hours later I was awoken by the shimmering sound of an iPhone connecting. Bleary-eyed, I looked at the screen. Activation successful.

I set up my iPhone from my iPod touch’s backup, and it worked flawlessly. I started installing apps: Twitterrific, Facebook, AIM, and a lightsaber app.

Fast-forward to the early hours of July 15. My wife tells me it is time to go to the hospital. I begin using the Clock app’s stopwatch to time contractions, using the lap function. When our doctor arrived at the hospital, he remembered my iPhone from our last visit with him the day before, and he cracked a joke asking if I would use the lightsaber app to cut the cord in a little while. No one thought it was funny.

A few hours after Jonathan was born, I took a photo of him with my iPhone, shared it to Mail, filled out a little message with the time, his length, weight — all that stuff people ask about when a baby is born — and then sent it to a bunch of people.

And ever since then some iteration of the iPhone has always been in my pocket. As strange as it sounds, the iPhone has been a part of my family. As the hardware became better, it has become my primary camera. I’ve taken more photos with the iPhone over the past ten years than I had taken at any other time in my life. I’ve made friends through this screen, both near and far. I’ve chronicled joyful and painful times of my life into it. My son and I have pointed it at the sky and seen constellations light up.

This object of glass is the technology I dreamed of as a kid watching Star Trek. It is my tricorder, my communicator, and my captain’s log. In many ways, it’s more than that — because it can become anything I need it to be.

¶ iPhone Batteries and Performance

A little over a week ago Apple addressed the perception some users had about their iPhones running slower. Apple’s statement then:

Our goal is to deliver the best experience for customers, which includes overall performance and prolonging the life of their devices. Lithium-ion batteries become less capable of supplying peak current demands when in cold conditions, have a low battery charge or as they age over time, which can result in the device unexpectedly shutting down to protect its electronic components.

Last year we released a feature for iPhone 6, iPhone 6s and iPhone SE to smooth out the instantaneous peaks only when needed to prevent the device from unexpectedly shutting down during these conditions. We’ve now extended that feature to iPhone 7 with iOS 11.2, and plan to add support for other products in the future.

Put simply, Apple stated (admitted?) that they began limiting the power draw on the battery during peak performance in January 2017 on iPhones with aged batteries that couldn’t handle the load.

I believe Apple in that the goal of this software feature was to prevent unexpected shutdowns, thus extending the useful life of an older iPhone, even if that meant it wasn’t as performant as it was when brand new.

The rest of the Internet seemed to disagree, and took this as proof of the age-old conspiracy theory that Apple intentionally plans the obsolescence of iPhones to drive sales of newer models.

That idea is folly, and ridiculous. Full stop.

This evidence is in the history. Apple offers software and hardware support for older models of phones far longer than anyone else in the industry. They also sell older models brand new at more affordable prices to make sure there is an iPhone model for almost anyone.

It simply does not make any sense that Apple would plan to slow down a brand new older model to push someone to buy a newer, more expensive model. That works directly against Apple’s best interests for itself and its customers.

That said, the perception that Apple intentionally hobbles devices out of greed is one that is rampant, and has been for years. I have family who outright believe it. And Apple’s lack of communication and clarity at the outset of rolling out this feature only helped to sow more distrust.

This afternoon, Apple blinked. They issued an open letter apologizing for their lack of clarity.

We’ve been hearing feedback from our customers about the way we handle performance for iPhones with older batteries and how we have communicated that process. We know that some of you feel Apple has let you down. We apologize. There’s been a lot of misunderstanding about this issue, so we would like to clarify and let you know about some changes we’re making.

First and foremost, we have never — and would never — do anything to intentionally shorten the life of any Apple product, or degrade the user experience to drive customer upgrades. Our goal has always been to create products that our customers love, and making iPhones last as long as possible is an important part of that.

I very much believe Apple in that second paragraph. It fits in line with the history of their actions. To drive the point home further, Apple concludes with action.

We’ve always wanted our customers to be able to use their iPhones as long as possible. We’re proud that Apple products are known for their durability, and for holding their value longer than our competitors’ devices.

To address our customers’ concerns, to recognize their loyalty and to regain the trust of anyone who may have doubted Apple’s intentions, we’ve decided to take the following steps:

• Apple is reducing the price of an out-of-warranty iPhone battery replacement by $50 — from $79 to $29 — for anyone with an iPhone 6 or later whose battery needs to be replaced, available worldwide through December 2018. Details will be provided soon on apple.com.
• Early in 2018, we will issue an iOS software update with new features that give users more visibility into the health of their iPhone’s battery, so they can see for themselves if its condition is affecting performance.
• As always, our team is working on ways to make the user experience even better, including improving how we manage performance and avoid unexpected shutdowns as batteries age.

At Apple, our customers’ trust means everything to us. We will never stop working to earn and maintain it. We are able to do the work we love only because of your faith and support — and we will never forget that or take it for granted.

Apple is making the right moves here. They are carving themselves off a giant piece of humble pie. The forthcoming update to iOS with greater transparency for battery health is how this feature should have been introduced. The $29 battery replacement fee should probably be permanent instead of just for 2018. We’ll see what happens there.

I can’t sum up my thoughts about Apple’s misstep with communication better than John Gruber did earlier today:

The funny thing about Apple is that their communication problems tend to happen only when they don’t communicate at all. This whole iPhone battery controversy erupted only because Apple had never explained what was going on, which opened them up to accusations of nefarious intent. When they do communicate, they do so with clarity, plain language, and honesty. And, when called for — as in this case — humility.