A Neo Experience

Apple's three days of surprises is over, but the biggest surprise is how little we knew going into all of this. The rumor mill seems less accurate than it has been in a long time.

There was some speculation about a Studio Display update, but this XDR option with 120Hz was barely discussed as a separate product. It's likely due to the lack of external changes for the 2026 base model, but still.

The iPad Air, MacBook Air, and iPhone 17e were all gimmes that everyone knew was coming. But what's missing is the base iPad with support for Apple Intelligence.

Apple's spring is far from over, and we could get random press release product drops at any time between April and June. It's just interesting that the iPad wasn't shared here where it would have fit in perfectly.

Then there's the MacBook Neo. I was certain that couldn't be the name, but here we are. It's fine, but it evokes nerdy things like The Matrix and Pokémon.

I think it was smart of Apple to remove Touch ID from the base model. I know that's a controversial opinion, but it isn't a necessity. If you're an Apple Watch owner, Touch ID on Mac was somewhat redundant and sometimes even slower.

It'll be interesting seeing how the A18 Pro chipset handles macOS. I expect that we're going to hear a fresh bout of "See, macOS should be on iPad," too.

I'll have more thoughts on the announcements this week in the newsletter post. It seems Apple is done with product reveals for now, though I hope not for long. I really would like to see Apple TV, HomePod, and iPad mini before WWDC.