>I suspect the most significant thing holding Apple back in the realm of AI is the fact that Apple prides itself as a company that delivers revolutionary products with ‘wow factor’ that is leagues above the competition.
I don't remember them ever doing that. Usually they start with something lacklustre then incrementally improve it until it is strong.
Maps is a great example, it was poor on launch compared to Google Maps but has now got to a level where most people don't bother with Google on the iPhone.
Google Maps largely exists because of Apple.
Do you remember when the iPhone was released?
AirPods? The iMac? The Mac? The Apple II?
Broaden scope a bit to understand what this comment meant. You’re right that Apple botches things in the small scale and especially in software, but they’ve been a great aggregator of amazing tech in the total lifespan.
Google Maps had already launched and had really surprised everyone at how much better it was than any other mapping tool a few years before iPhone launched. and just the interactivity of it in general independent of it being a “map” was a paradigm shifter.
Yes, the iPhone put it in everyone’s pocket, but if Apple had built a handheld device that was powerful enough to run any interactive mapping tool Google Maps was already the obvious choice.
It’s a minor quibble, but to say Apple played a majority role in Google Map’s success doesn’t ring true to me. In 2007 Google Maps was easily overtaking all other mapping tools with or without the iPhone.
It was great when I was visiting China. I only tried it because Google Maps was unavailable (nothing Google worked at all except push notifications, because those come from Apple), and was pleasantly surprised. Every train station and mall had detailed maps.
Apple Maps is also pretty good here in Canada, although I would never trust it to tell me with any accuracy what a given business's hours are, or whether it even still exists. Google is much better at that.
I don't remember them ever doing that. Usually they start with something lacklustre then incrementally improve it until it is strong.
Maps is a great example, it was poor on launch compared to Google Maps but has now got to a level where most people don't bother with Google on the iPhone.