Apple’s new product burst is a useful reminder that the loudest reaction to an unfamiliar product rarely predicts what buyers will do with it.
John Ternus has been running Apple for barely six weeks, and already the place is lookin’ busier.
Since September 1, Apple has introduced its first foldable iPhone, HomeView in tabletop and wall-mounted versions, plus a whole family of smart-home cameras, thermostats, sensors, a doorbell and deadbolt.
Obviously, this stuff was underway before Ternus became CEO.
But I’m impressed by what’s emerging early in his tenure: more experimentation, intriguing new product forms and a willingness to put unfamiliar stuff in customers’ hands.
Naturally, social media is overflowing with rage-bait.
I’ve seen HomeView described as an Apple Duo glued to a HomePod. Another critic called it “an upscaled Apple Watch with a speaker you can’t take anywhere” that will call your mom when you ask for a bolognese recipe.
Pretty funny. Also fairly irrelevant.
HomeView recognizes household members, runs Apple’s new Siri AI, handles FaceTime, music, recipes and personal info, and becomes the control centre for Apple’s considerably expanded smart-home ecosystem.
Will consumers need one? We’ll soon find out.
One of the ideas I explore in I Need That is that product adoption happens in the buyer’s life, not inside the commentary surrounding a launch. Folks evaluate whether something improves what they currently do, removes frustration or opens up an exciting new possibility.
New product forms almost always look ridiculous before they become familiar.
Remember how much the iPad got mocked before it became an unequivocal revolution?
Apple has experienced plenty of that, again and again.
The really interesting unknown isn’t if HomeView sorta resembles three existing Apple products mashed together. (If it DIDN’T look Apple enough, that’d be the knock.)
It’s whether or not millions of households decide that’s exactly why they need one.
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