At a two-hour “special event” two weeks ago, Tim Cook took to the stage to announce a series of also-ran services:
Apple TV+, the company’s tentative foray into original streaming content,
Apple Arcade, a gaming service, and
Apple News+, a subscription news service.
Gaming, streaming, news. Really? In 2019? Where has Apple been for the last six to seven years?
What was once the most innovative company in the world is now laughably behind in some of the most ubiquitous services on the planet. Apple TV+ was particularly egregious as announcements go, offering no information on pricing, even as it enters a very competitive space. Instead, Apple trotted out celebrities like Oprah and Steve Carrell to divert attention from how half-baked and uninspired it all seemed.