Apple’s latest event should have been the kind of presentation that makes me want to replace something in my bag or on my wrist. Instead, I came away with the same question I had before it started: where is Apple’s AI story?
The hardware was fine. Some of it was even nice. But nothing announced made me feel like I needed to run out and replace the Apple devices I already own.
Quick Answer
The short version is this: the iPhone 17 lineup, AirPods, and Apple Watch updates felt mostly marginal to me, while Apple’s silence around AI felt like the real headline.
I am still planning to get the new iPhone because I am already on Apple’s upgrade program, but that is different from being excited by a must-have feature. If my Watch or AirPods broke, I would replace them. Otherwise, I do not see much urgency here.
The Hardware Was Fine, But Not Compelling
Apple showed new hardware, but most of it landed in that familiar category of nice, but not enough. A heart rate monitor in AirPods sounds useful on paper, but I already wear an Apple Watch. For me, that makes the feature feel a little redundant.
That does not mean it is useless. If you do not wear an Apple Watch, health tracking in AirPods may be more interesting. But for people already deep in the Apple ecosystem, it is another example of Apple adding something useful without necessarily creating a strong reason to upgrade.
The Apple Watch story felt similar. I still have an Apple Watch Ultra 1 and never felt much pressure to move to the Ultra 2. Two generations later, I was hoping for something more meaningful, like new sensors or a more substantial hardware reason to upgrade. A brighter screen or software tweaks can be nice, but they do not automatically make an existing watch feel outdated.
iPhone 17 Air And Pro
The iPhone 17 Air is probably the most visually interesting device in the lineup if you want something lighter, thinner, and sleeker. I can see why people would be drawn to it.
The tradeoff is the camera situation. I have heard from people who are torn on the Air because they like the design but do not want to give up camera flexibility. That is the kind of compromise that makes a device interesting, but not an obvious pick for everyone.
Even the iPhone 17 Pro felt underwhelming to me. I did not see a standout feature that changes how I would use the phone day to day. It feels marginally better again, and in some ways I even wonder if parts of it could feel like a step backward.
One concern I have is durability, especially with the move back to aluminum and darker colors where scratches may be more obvious. That may not matter to everyone, but it is the kind of practical thing I think about when deciding whether a new device is really an upgrade.
What I Am Actually Buying
I do plan on getting the new iPhone, but not because the event sold me on some new must-have feature. I have been on the iPhone Upgrade Program for about three years, so I am already paying monthly for the phone.
Because of that, my wife and I will upgrade. The plan is two iPhone Pros: one for my wife and an iPhone Pro Max for me, likely in orange.
That is an important distinction. I am upgrading because of the program I am already in, not because Apple showed a feature that made my current phone feel obsolete.
The Missing AI Story
The part that stood out most was not what Apple announced. It was what Apple did not talk about.
There was no meaningful AI discussion. No AI glasses. No real Vision Pro update in this context. No live transcription-style devices or features like the kinds of products people are already using from companies such as Bee or Plaud.
That silence matters because these are areas where Apple could be incredibly strong. If Apple entered some of these markets with polished hardware, strong privacy positioning, and deep system integration, it could change the category quickly.
Instead, the event left me wondering whether those products are not ready because Apple’s AI foundation is not ready.
Why Apple’s AI Silence Matters
Apple does not need to chase every AI trend. I do not want Apple to throw half-finished AI features into products just to say they did it.
But at some point, silence becomes its own message. When competitors are building AI into phones, glasses, search, productivity tools, and creator workflows, Apple needs a clear direction that regular users can understand.
There is also the question of talent. A lot has been made about Apple AI employees leaving. I do not have proof of why that is happening, and I do not think it is smart to pretend we know for sure. Maybe it is money. Maybe it is management. Maybe the culture inside the AI side of Apple is not working for the people they need to keep.
Whatever the reason, it adds to the feeling that Apple’s AI work is not where it needs to be.
Google Glasses Could Be A Real Threat
The bigger competitive issue, to me, is Google. Google glasses with Gemini could become a serious problem for Apple if they work well.
For creators especially, Google has a strong position. YouTube, Google services, search, cloud tools, and Gemini all live in the same ecosystem. If you had to be locked into one platform as a creator, it would be hard to ignore Google.
The moment people experience useful, conversational AI with them throughout the day, that could shift expectations quickly. If Google gets glasses right and Apple is slow, some users may start looking more seriously at Pixel phones too.
That does not mean the iPhone disappears overnight. But it could chip away at Apple’s hold, especially among people who want AI features that feel present, practical, and connected to the tools they already use.
What I Think Apple Should Do
At this point, I think Apple should seriously consider deeper system-level integration with multiple large language models.
Siri could remain the default assistant, but users should be able to install and choose the AI services they want. Imagine system-level plugins where different LLMs could work across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch in a controlled, privacy-conscious way.
That kind of approach would let Apple keep the Apple experience intact while giving users access to the AI tools they actually want to use. It would also buy Apple time if its own AI work is not ready to lead.
Key Takeaways
- Nothing Apple announced made me feel an urgent need to replace my current Apple devices.
- AirPods health tracking may be useful, but it feels redundant if you already wear an Apple Watch.
- The iPhone 17 Air looks sleek, but the camera tradeoff may make some buyers hesitate.
- The iPhone 17 Pro still feels like a marginal upgrade rather than a major leap.
- Apple’s lack of AI direction was the most important part of the event.
- Google glasses with Gemini could put real pressure on Apple if Apple moves too slowly.
Watch the Video
The video above for the full walkthrough of my reaction to Apple’s event, why the hardware did not move me much, and why I think Apple’s AI silence may matter more than the iPhone 17 announcements themselves.
