Patrick McGee
@patrickmcgee.bsky.social
Author of Apple in China — called “jaw-dropping” by Jon Stewart, “astonishing” by The Telegraph and “devastatingly clear," "smart and comprehensive," "startling" and "meticulous" by the New York Times.
🇨🇦
🇨🇦
Yeah I think that’s fair
August 1, 2025 at 6:17 PM
Yeah I think that’s fair
Read the whole essay here:
unherd.com/2025/08/time...
And, of course, much more in my book: AppleInChina.com
unherd.com/2025/08/time...
And, of course, much more in my book: AppleInChina.com
Time is running out for Tim Cook
unherd.com
August 1, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Read the whole essay here:
unherd.com/2025/08/time...
And, of course, much more in my book: AppleInChina.com
unherd.com/2025/08/time...
And, of course, much more in my book: AppleInChina.com
So it’s disconcerting that 15 months after the announcement, a personalised Siri still doesn’t exist, the ads promoting it have been pulled, and Apple has been forced to acknowledge it doesn’t know when the features might be ready.
August 1, 2025 at 4:16 PM
So it’s disconcerting that 15 months after the announcement, a personalised Siri still doesn’t exist, the ads promoting it have been pulled, and Apple has been forced to acknowledge it doesn’t know when the features might be ready.
If Apple can make it work, it could offer 1.5bn users a compelling reason to upgrade their device every 24 months, as on-device chipsets improve.
That would justify Apple’s high valuation. But, says Craig Moffett, “that whole logic disappears if Apple ends up capitulating to a cloud-based model”.
That would justify Apple’s high valuation. But, says Craig Moffett, “that whole logic disappears if Apple ends up capitulating to a cloud-based model”.
August 1, 2025 at 4:16 PM
If Apple can make it work, it could offer 1.5bn users a compelling reason to upgrade their device every 24 months, as on-device chipsets improve.
That would justify Apple’s high valuation. But, says Craig Moffett, “that whole logic disappears if Apple ends up capitulating to a cloud-based model”.
That would justify Apple’s high valuation. But, says Craig Moffett, “that whole logic disappears if Apple ends up capitulating to a cloud-based model”.
When Cook unveiled “Apple Intelligence” last year, the promise was an assistant that could mine texts and emails to deliver personalised answers — not by taking data from the cloud, but mining for data “on device”. That’s something ChatGPT can’t do on the iPhone, because apps are sandboxed.
August 1, 2025 at 4:16 PM
When Cook unveiled “Apple Intelligence” last year, the promise was an assistant that could mine texts and emails to deliver personalised answers — not by taking data from the cloud, but mining for data “on device”. That’s something ChatGPT can’t do on the iPhone, because apps are sandboxed.
Apple’s AI missteps are the most glaring.
Siri, once a pioneer among voice assistants, now feels “as dumb as a rock”, to quote Microsoft’s Satya Nadella.
Siri, once a pioneer among voice assistants, now feels “as dumb as a rock”, to quote Microsoft’s Satya Nadella.
August 1, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Apple’s AI missteps are the most glaring.
Siri, once a pioneer among voice assistants, now feels “as dumb as a rock”, to quote Microsoft’s Satya Nadella.
Siri, once a pioneer among voice assistants, now feels “as dumb as a rock”, to quote Microsoft’s Satya Nadella.
Apple killed its decade-long electric car project just as Chinese rivals Huawei and Xiaomi expanded their own. Apple’s only meaningful new product this decade is the Vision Pro, a tech marvel lacking content. Apple has superb tech capabilities, held back by a lack of strategic vision.
August 1, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Apple killed its decade-long electric car project just as Chinese rivals Huawei and Xiaomi expanded their own. Apple’s only meaningful new product this decade is the Vision Pro, a tech marvel lacking content. Apple has superb tech capabilities, held back by a lack of strategic vision.
Today the tired criticism resonates.
Cook achieved growth, but innovation has tanked.
The iPhone’s design has barely changed since 2019, when Jony Ive departed as design chief (a position that remains vacant).
Cook achieved growth, but innovation has tanked.
The iPhone’s design has barely changed since 2019, when Jony Ive departed as design chief (a position that remains vacant).
August 1, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Today the tired criticism resonates.
Cook achieved growth, but innovation has tanked.
The iPhone’s design has barely changed since 2019, when Jony Ive departed as design chief (a position that remains vacant).
Cook achieved growth, but innovation has tanked.
The iPhone’s design has barely changed since 2019, when Jony Ive departed as design chief (a position that remains vacant).
Fringe murmurings that Cook might no longer be the right CEO have moved from fringe Internet forums to investment bank notes and news segments on CNBC and Bloomberg TV.
Their main criticism — that Cook isn’t a product visionary — has always rung hollow; his mandate was always to scale
Their main criticism — that Cook isn’t a product visionary — has always rung hollow; his mandate was always to scale
August 1, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Fringe murmurings that Cook might no longer be the right CEO have moved from fringe Internet forums to investment bank notes and news segments on CNBC and Bloomberg TV.
Their main criticism — that Cook isn’t a product visionary — has always rung hollow; his mandate was always to scale
Their main criticism — that Cook isn’t a product visionary — has always rung hollow; his mandate was always to scale
Apple’s market valuation is still enormous, at $3.1 trillion, but it has inched up less than 5% in three-and-a-half years.
August 1, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Apple’s market valuation is still enormous, at $3.1 trillion, but it has inched up less than 5% in three-and-a-half years.
But Apple has since stagnated: Annual revenue growth in the past three fiscal years averaged just 2.3%, versus 11% to 14% for Alphabet, Amazon, Meta and Microsoft, 24% at Tesla, and 80% at Nvidia.
August 1, 2025 at 4:16 PM
But Apple has since stagnated: Annual revenue growth in the past three fiscal years averaged just 2.3%, versus 11% to 14% for Alphabet, Amazon, Meta and Microsoft, 24% at Tesla, and 80% at Nvidia.
The idea that Cook, who was appointed CEO in 2011, might step down was anathema in January 2022, when Apple first reached a $3 trillion market valuation. Profits during his tenure had soared 3.7 times and shareholder returns had increased twentyfold.
August 1, 2025 at 4:16 PM
The idea that Cook, who was appointed CEO in 2011, might step down was anathema in January 2022, when Apple first reached a $3 trillion market valuation. Profits during his tenure had soared 3.7 times and shareholder returns had increased twentyfold.
They could also highlight Cook’s statesmanship.
Trump, in 2016, said he’d force Apple to build products in the US and once urged his supporters to boycott Apple. But Cook gained his ear, achieved important tariff exemptions, and avoided backlash from Beijing even after Washington attacked Huawei.
Trump, in 2016, said he’d force Apple to build products in the US and once urged his supporters to boycott Apple. But Cook gained his ear, achieved important tariff exemptions, and avoided backlash from Beijing even after Washington attacked Huawei.
August 1, 2025 at 4:16 PM
They could also highlight Cook’s statesmanship.
Trump, in 2016, said he’d force Apple to build products in the US and once urged his supporters to boycott Apple. But Cook gained his ear, achieved important tariff exemptions, and avoided backlash from Beijing even after Washington attacked Huawei.
Trump, in 2016, said he’d force Apple to build products in the US and once urged his supporters to boycott Apple. But Cook gained his ear, achieved important tariff exemptions, and avoided backlash from Beijing even after Washington attacked Huawei.
Supporters of Cook, when challenged, used to be able to point to Apple’s unmatched supply chain, the success of the Apple Watch and AirPods, and the enduring dominance of the iPhone.
August 1, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Supporters of Cook, when challenged, used to be able to point to Apple’s unmatched supply chain, the success of the Apple Watch and AirPods, and the enduring dominance of the iPhone.