Apple's week August 22: Google's gambit

If you've been following the tech headlines, you might be wondering when Apple will be declaring bankruptcy. Of course, the DOOM™ cycle continues, and Apple abides.

It's not enough that every report needs to harp on Apple being behind in AI, even as the AI bubble pops and Meta freezes hiring, but every hardware release somehow acts as a threat to Apple. Meanwhile, Apple users, the ones not reading the tech blogs, keep buying iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches in droves.

One of the funnier realizations that hit me this week, thanks to Daring Fireball, is that Meta only sold 2 million Meta Ray-Bans from October 2023 to February 2025. Apple sold about 1 million Apple Vision Pro units at 10x the price from February 2024 to February 2025.

If we assume each product sold those units at the minimum available price, that's $600 million in revenue for Meta, and $3.5 billion for Apple. But yeah, Apple Vision Pro is apparently a flop while Meta is a sign of the future.

Anyway, this week on the AppleInsider Podcast, we dive into the Google Pixel event and the latest iPhone leaks. The AppleInsider+ segment went further into examining Apple's competition and how Apple actually views them.

Gemini joins Apple Intelligence

A rumor that hit after we recorded the podcast reinforced my running theory behind Apple's AI strategy. Apple is in talks to get a version of Gemini running in its Private Cloud Compute servers.

For whatever reason, the originating report suggests this is a sign of Apple giving up on Apple Intelligence. Even as it says it's a Private Cloud Compute system, it suggests that Apple would use it as the backend for Siri – which is directly contradictory.

Clearly, Apple wants to bring ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and others into Private Cloud Compute for users to target from Apple Intelligence. It would work similar to how the ChatGPT integration works today, but would be guaranteed to be private and running on renewable energy.

The more these analysts and reports ignore Apple's ability to utilize its ecosystem to deliver AI to users, the sillier it all seems. If everything rolls out as I expect, it could put Apple in a competitive position that other companies will struggle to replicate.

Apple TV+ price

It's never great seeing prices go up on services you enjoy. Netflix continues to hit more and more astronomical prices, though its offering is getting worse, in my opinion.

Apple TV+ continues to be mostly exclusive and original content with no back catalog to lean on like Friends or The Simpsons. While some kind of acquisition would have been interesting, I've been happy with what Apple TV+ has offered so far.

The library is "limited" compared to something like Disney+ or Netflix, but I don't find it lacking in value. At this point, if I spent all my free time watching all of Apple TV+ content, I'd still be watching for weeks trying to see it all.

I understand others have more free time and can watch an entire 10-hour season in a day, but that's just not my life. So perhaps I'm not speaking to the norm, but I feel like Apple TV+ more than justifies its price.

And, as others have pointed out, the price change only hit the monthly rate. The annual and the bundle package didn't change price, which means this is more of a retention move.

By increasing the monthly price, it pushes users to annual subs, which holds onto individuals longer.

South Park

I've been a big fan of South Park in the last decade. They've really thrived on the silliness that's been going on in the world, and the latest season has capitalized on it best.

I wanted to point out the latest episode with Tim Cook simply because it was an excellent burn. Sure, some of it was on Apple participating in the first place, but it still lands as more embarrassing for the administration and the country overall.

The line of individuals offering gifts to the presidency for help avoiding or changing the law just felt too real. I wish people could wake up to what's happening in the world, but too many of the people I meet in my region see Trump as a godsend.

Blood oxygen battle

Masimo weighed in on the whole blood oxygen thing. Apple seemingly randomly announced that the detector would be restored in the United States on August 14, and it returned shortly after.

Apparently, Masimo wasn't included in the discussion to restore this feature. It even alleged that Apple's "gift" to the presidency may have played a role in the Customs and Border Protection claiming it no longer could enforce the ITC trade ban on Apple Watch.

Whatever the case, it seems Apple's gambit worked and the Apple Watch will get blood oxygen detection back for the time being. The legal process may take so long that the Masimo patent in question may expire in 2028 before everything is fully resolved.

3D printing

I've been using a 3D printer for a review and it's been interesting. It's one of those products that everyone else has taken an interest in, so I've spent my time printing trinkets and toys, and not much for myself.

It's a fun tool that will take some time to explore. One use I found was making little ramps for my keyboard to rest on so it tilts towards me on my desk. I'll need to figure out what might be useful to print as far as needs for my office.

Funny how you always think something like a 3D printer might be useful, but once you have one, your brain empties of ideas. If anyone reading this has good ideas, especially for Apple-related prints, I'd love to check it out.