Apple’s “Awe-Dropping” Event: Substance or Just Style?

Apple promoted its latest product launch with the ambitious title “awe-dropping,” promising a truly remarkable showcase. The event certainly delivered on style, with the beautifully crafted, 5.6mm-thin iPhone Air stealing the show. But after the applause, the question remains: was there enough substance to justify the hype?
On the style front, Apple gets top marks. The iPhone Air’s titanium design is a feat of engineering, and the company’s ability to create desirable objects is undeniable. However, when it comes to substantive, game-changing innovation, the picture is more mixed. Many of the announcements felt iterative rather than revolutionary.
The new AirPods Pro 3, for instance, gained a live translation feature. This is a fantastic, highly useful tool, but it’s one that competitor Google has offered for years. Similarly, the Apple Watch’s move into hypertension monitoring is a welcome and important health feature, but it builds upon the device’s existing strengths rather than redefining them.
The most notable gap was in artificial intelligence. With the Siri overhaul still pending and no major “Apple Intelligence” news, the company seems to be treading water while the rest of the industry dives headfirst into the generative AI revolution. So while the event was visually impressive, it felt more like a refinement of the present than a bold leap into the future.