Apple's New Product Launch: A Rare Win-Win Situation

Although yam paste is delicious, it's hard to please everyone. Creating a product that receives both critical acclaim and commercial success is becoming increasingly difficult. Recently, every Apple event seems to attract mockery and criticism from netizens.

But this time around, the audience seemed quite satisfied with the launch. There was no disappointment, no criticism. People were willing to spend their money or download updates with a sense of ease and even some pleasant surprises due to price reductions. Encouraging users to immediately purchase and use products after a launch might be the ultimate goal for new product releases. In contrast, previous Apple launches often fell into the paradox of being commercially successful but critically panned —— media criticized Apple for lacking innovation while the products continued to sell hotly.

This was the third launch of the year and Apple’s final event of the year. As usual, there were no major surprises in the new product announcements; basically, all the product designs and specifications had already been leaked in advance. The script was written ahead of time, and the event was more about watching Apple executives confidently boasting on stage. They boasted about Apple’s data and its products.

Of course, Apple has plenty of reasons to be confident. Even though iPad sales dropped last quarter, cumulative sales have still reached 170 million units, and iPads account for as much as 81% of tablet internet traffic. The redesigned mobile operating system iOS 7, despite facing ridicule and criticism from outside, received actual support from users: 200 million users chose to upgrade to iOS 7, representing 64% of all iOS devices. The ecosystem platform remains Apple's competitive advantage, with app store numbers breaking through one million applications and downloads exceeding 60 billion times.

Thus, under the perfect data backdrop, Apple executives confidently launched the latest products: Retina screen MacBook Pro, high-end workstation Mac Pro, new iPad, and iPad Mini. Although the functional upgrades were all within external expectations, the new Mavericks system and Intel Haswell processors significantly improved laptop performance and battery life, while A7 processors and Retina screens were added to the iPad lineup. Each individual Apple product continues to stand at the top of the industry and satisfies users.

Indeed, even users who dislike Apple would admit that each Apple product is a paragon of industrial design and software systems. If we focus solely on the products themselves, then every Apple upgrade and every launch is a success, which subsequent market sales have validated. Even during periods when Apple's stock price plummeted sharply, its performance did not show any significant decline, with sales and profits still outshining all other companies in the industry.

Since Apple products are so outstanding, why do outsiders criticize them? Because comparison leads to disappointment, and the benchmark for comparison is also Apple —— an Apple led by a deified Steve Jobs, an Apple that consistently brought revolutionary innovations. After Jobs' departure, Apple launches lost personal charisma and suspense. Audiences accustomed to attending with excitement suddenly realized they were only facing the event itself, with products that were excellent but had already been leaked. A sense of loss naturally arose.

Samsung once ran an ad mocking Apple fans queuing up to buy the new iPhone. One fan proudly talked about how Apple was more innovative than Samsung, only to be harshly ridiculed by a listener who said, "You're just working at a coffee shop!" This line was particularly vicious, directly slapping many Apple fans in the face. The implication was, what does it matter to you, a regular worker, whether Apple innovates or not?

It's tough, but many Apple fans buy Apple products because they have a strong sense of identification. Due to the monotony of everyday life, repetitive day after day, we crave change and long for a cultural symbol that pursues excellence, innovation, and elegance to change our lives with the best products. Apple's rise quietly resonated with this psychology of ordinary people. Mundane and boring lives need something extraordinary, and a tedious world needs heroes.

Therefore, Steve Jobs, with his heroic demeanor, brought an Apple that was entirely different from other companies. His highly inciting question, "Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life, or come with me and change the world?" made Pepsi president John Sculley's heart swell with emotion. Classic ads like "1984" and "Think Different" moved all dreamers to tears. "Changing the world," Apple fans hoped to experience the best technology and witness innovation and disruption by purchasing Apple products. When users queued up overnight to buy iPhones, they thought, "I am changing the world with Apple."

Therefore, when the soul of Apple, Steve Jobs, left, his successor was Tim Cook, a manager without idolatrous charm. With more Asian component suppliers involved in Apple products, confidentiality became increasingly difficult. As Android and other competitors rapidly caught up, Apple products no longer stood out as they once did. Based on several revolutionary products, user and media expectations kept rising, making it increasingly difficult for Apple to meet external psychological demands.

So, when Apple slowed down its pace of innovation and slightly upgraded a few products, investors who previously believed Apple would continuously change the world became disappointed. Apple's stock price dropped from over $700 to over $400, despite Apple's consistent outstanding sales performance. Apple's fundamentals hadn't changed; what changed was the public's perception of Apple. The previous skyrocketing stock price itself carried blind worship of Apple; when this superstition was debunked, Apple's stock returned to the normal trajectory of a tech company.

As long as one doesn't have excessively high expectations for Apple, its products remain satisfactory. This time, the focus was solely on the products themselves. All four new products launched by Apple were at the top level of the industry. As Cook said, any company would be proud of achieving even one of these products, but Apple achieved them all.

This time, there were no overly high prices, no drastic changes in traditional design. Apple released a few excellent new products and gained affirmation and acceptance from the outside world. Returning to the essence of the product and not having excessively high expectations —— it feels good.

There is reason to believe that the lighter and thinner iPad and iPad Mini will once again sell well. Moreover, China has once again become a primary market for the launch.