This weekend marks 14 years since Steve Jobs passed away on 5 October 2011. Since then, Apple has released almost 40 different iPad variants, the Vision Pro, Apple Watch, Apple Intelligence, and several Apple TV updates.
What would Steve Jobs think of Apple today?
I’m sure he’d be happy with the company’s financial position but what would he think of the products?
Apple hardware
Let’s start with the iPhone. Would an iPhone have been released with the much-maligned notch? What about the camera bump which is now a plateau? Would Jobs have forced he engineering teams to come up with more elegant solutions?
I think Jobs would be pleased with the iPad’s development. While he wasn’t a fan of using a stylus on a smartphone, I think he’d appreciate its value on the larger iPad. Because the first iPad mini followed Steve Jobs’ death, it’s evident that he would have approved of the device.
Apple released the Apple Watch approximately 3.5 years after Steve Jobs’ death. The product development cycle strongly suggests that Jobs would have been aware of early internal prototypes and design. I doubt he would have let the first version out without it being waterproof. Otherwise, I think Jobs would be happy with Apple’s wearable.
That brings me to the Vision Pro. Frankly, I can’t see how Jobs would have let this out the factory door. It’s expensive, uncomfortable to wear for long periods and has that external battery pack. I believe he would strongly disapprove of its release. And he would be furious at how Meta is dominating that market.
Apple software
On the software side, Steve Jobs rarely announced products unless he was sure they’d be customer ready to ship. Apple Intelligence has been a catastrophic flop. It is a clear example of ambition exceeding ability. Driven by the fear of being left behind in the AI race, Apple rushed out a barely half-finished product. Jobs would have waited till the software was ready and released it when he knew he could sell it as exceeding what the competition can do.
Finally, there’s the Apple TV. In Walter Isaacson’s biography, Jobs said that he had finally “cracked TV”, suggesting Apple was on the cusp of revolutionising how we interact with our televisions. That hasn’t happened. I’m not sure where that leaves Apple TV but the expected revolution never happened.
What do think Steve Jobs would think of Apple today?
Anthony is the founder of Australian Apple News. He is a long-time Apple user and former editor of Australian Macworld. He has contributed to many technology magazines and newspapers as well as appearing regularly on radio and occasionally on TV.