Apple's 2025: Unfulfilled AI Promises, Design Shifts, and Product Strategy

MacBreak Weekly (Audio) · January 07, 2026 · Listen to Original Episode →

Original Title:

TL;DR

Apple's 2025 will be defined by unfulfilled promises, particularly in AI, shifting the narrative from delivery to acknowledgment of shortcomings and potential job restructuring.
The potential integration of Google's Gemini model into Siri could significantly improve Apple's AI capabilities, but its success hinges on seamless integration into Apple's software ecosystem.
Apple's rumored folding iPhone may adopt a distinct 4:3 aspect ratio when unfolded, aiming to offer a unique tablet-like experience rather than mimicking existing foldable designs.
A potential sub-$600 MacBook could disrupt Apple's product line by offering core Mac functionality at an unprecedented price point, challenging design assumptions and potentially introducing vibrant colors.
The departure of design leaders like Alan Dye signals an opportunity for Apple to reset its design philosophy, moving away from extreme minimalism and potentially reintroducing more personality and color into its products.
Apple's display strategy is currently faltering, with outdated and overpriced products like the Studio Display and Pro Display XDR, suggesting a need for a more coherent and updated product roadmap.
The increasing disconnect between Apple's luxury-focused design ethos and the practical needs of everyday users raises questions about the company's ability to create truly indispensable consumer products.

Deep Dive

2025 will be remembered as the year Apple intelligence fell short of its ambitious promises, with a focus shifting from delivery to acknowledging the shortcomings. While Apple announced significant advancements in AI, the actual rollout was deferred, with many features now slated for 2026. This delay suggests a potential reliance on external models, such as Google's Gemini, to power Apple's AI initiatives, aiming for a white-labeled integration rather than building entirely proprietary solutions.

The implications of this AI delay and potential external partnerships are multifaceted. Apple faces the challenge of not only integrating AI models effectively into its software but also creating user interfaces that leverage these capabilities in a way that resonates with consumers. The risk is that Apple might shoehorn AI into existing workflows, creating incremental improvements rather than revolutionary experiences, potentially disappointing users who expect groundbreaking functionality. Furthermore, the success of Apple Intelligence will hinge on its seamless integration across Apple's ecosystem, from iPhones to Macs, and whether it can deliver tangible user benefits beyond novelty features like image playgrounds.

Beyond AI, Apple is reportedly exploring a distinct approach to foldable hardware, with a rumored folding iPhone designed with a 4:3 aspect ratio when unfolded. This strategy deviates from existing market offerings, aiming to provide a more tablet-like experience in a compact form factor. The success of this endeavor will depend on Apple's ability to create compelling software experiences for both the folded and unfolded states, justifying the premium price point and appealing to a niche market. Concurrently, Apple is rumored to be developing a more affordable Mac laptop, potentially priced around $599, which could significantly disrupt its product line. This move signals a strategic effort to broaden its customer base and retain users within the Apple ecosystem, though it raises questions about design compromises and the continued use of premium materials like aluminum.

The departure of key design figures like Alan Dye also signals a potential shift in Apple's design philosophy. The podcast discussions highlight a critique that Apple's design, particularly in the 2010s, became overly focused on luxury minimalism, sometimes at the expense of personality and usability. The introduction of icons in every menu item in macOS Tahoe is cited as an example of this trend, raising concerns about clutter and inconsistency. This suggests an opportunity for Apple to re-evaluate its design principles, potentially reintroducing more color and user-centric functionality, especially as it navigates the evolving landscape of personal computing where smartphones and tablets are increasingly primary devices.

Finally, Apple's display strategy is seen as a persistent area of concern, with aging products like the Studio Display and Pro Display XDR remaining outdated and expensive. The lack of a coherent strategy and timely updates for these products contradicts Apple's environmental claims, as older iMacs could be repurposed with target display mode. The discussion underscores a broader sentiment that Apple, as a maturing tech giant, needs to either fully commit to product categories or exit them, ensuring that its offerings remain competitive and aligned with user needs and ecosystem integration.

Action Items

Audit 10 core Apple software modules for potential AI integration vulnerabilities (e.g., prompt injection, data leakage).
Design a standardized AI model evaluation framework with 5 key metrics (accuracy, bias, latency, cost, user satisfaction).
Implement a phased rollout strategy for new AI features, starting with 2-3 internal teams for initial testing.
Measure user adoption and satisfaction for AI features using a survey targeting 500-1000 users post-launch.
Create a runbook for AI model retraining and maintenance, defining 3 critical update triggers and rollback procedures.

Key Quotes

"2025 will be remembered for what Apple didn't deliver."

Jason Snell argues that the year 2025 will be characterized by Apple's failure to meet its promised product deliveries. This highlights a significant theme of unmet expectations and a shift in narrative from Apple's usual product launch successes.

"Wish List: A more flexible Apple display strategy."

Jason Snell expresses a desire for Apple to adopt a more adaptable approach to its display products. This suggests a current lack of coherence or responsiveness in Apple's display offerings, which he finds frustrating.

"The idea that you could run an and I did you could run and I wrote a book about it an entire internet server on a Mac running classic Mac OS an operating system that did not have protected memory or preemptive multitasking or anything that you would want in a server is amazing but we did it because we were maniacs that's just how it was back then in the early days of the internet it was that was back when you had to roll your own, you know, when men were men."

Andy Ihnatko reflects on the early days of the internet, emphasizing the ingenuity and dedication required to run server infrastructure on classic Mac OS. He conveys a sense of nostalgia for a time when users were more technically inclined and resourceful, performing complex tasks with limited resources.

"The problem is that when Steve Jobs was there there was somebody to say to stand up to Sir Johnny Ive and after a while like somebody has to do that somebody I have worked with designers I I was editor in chief of a magazine and we had art directors and we illustrated and all of that and the fact was it was a give and take relationship between somebody who was thinking about the bigger product and somebody who was thinking about the design and you worked together and you make something great and it felt like there was a period in there where they weren't working together the designers had decided what the good design was going to be and they were going to implement it and that's a recipe for if not disaster a bunch of the lackluster things we saw from Apple design in the late 2010s and into the 2020s."

Jason Snell posits that Apple's design direction suffered when the collaborative relationship between design and product management faltered. He suggests that during a period when designers had excessive influence, the focus shifted from user needs to a singular design vision, leading to less impactful products.

"The idea of having some sort of a display or some sort of a screen on the back of that that I think is a great idea. That's a functional thing even if it's just about selfies but also I'm going to have this thing face down on my table because I don't want it to be distracted but however if there's an important notification I'm okay with having an Apple Watch style little display that simply says oh by the way, you didn't turn your notifications off so clearly you want to be aware of what's going on in the world here is the reason why."

Shelly Brisbin proposes a functional innovation for the back of a phone: a secondary display. She argues this could serve practical purposes like displaying notifications or aiding in photography, enhancing the device's utility beyond just its primary screen.

"I would like to see them make like the blueberry swirl like $599 MacBook or something. I, I, they, they're just starting to get out of the miasma of it's always a gray overcast day in the Apple aisle of the computer store. I want them to be fun again. I want them to be excited again."

Jason Snell expresses a desire for Apple to reintroduce more colorful and engaging designs into its product line, specifically mentioning a hypothetical $599 MacBook. He feels Apple's current aesthetic is too monochromatic and lacks the excitement of its earlier, more vibrant products.

Resources

External Resources

Books

"Cyberspeak: An Online Dictionary" by Andy Ihnatko - Mentioned as a glossary of internet terms.
"Providing Internet Services via Mac OS" by Jason Snell and Carl Steadman - Mentioned as a traditionally published book by Jason Snell.

People

Willie Nelson - Mentioned for keeping red bandanas and whiskey river on his bus for visitors.
Jeff Raskin - Mentioned as the originator of the Macintosh project and the concept of a computer for real people.
Steve Jobs - Mentioned in relation to Jeff Raskin's ideas and as a BS detector for the design team.
Johnny Ive - Mentioned in relation to removing personality from Apple products and his influence on design.
Alan Dye - Mentioned in relation to his role in design at Apple and his departure.
Louie Mantia - Mentioned for writing a blog post about Alan Dye's departure.
Garrett Murray - Mentioned for writing a thoughtful post about Apple's design philosophy.
Trip Mickle - Mentioned as an author who wrote about Apple's design group.
Nikki Tonski - Mentioned for writing a blog post about icons in Mac OS menus.
Jim Nielson - Mentioned for pointing out that Google has also added icons to every menu choice in Google Sheets.
Alex Lindsay - Mentioned as a former panelist who has taken a job at Apple.
Shelly Brisbin - Mentioned as a panelist from the Texas Standard radio show.
Andy Ihnatko - Mentioned as a panelist and author of "Cyberspeak."
Jason Snell - Mentioned as a panelist, editor-in-chief of Six Colors, and author.
Sam Altman - Mentioned in relation to his talks about AI competitors.
Vince Gilligan - Mentioned in relation to the timeline for the second season of "Severance."
Rhea Seehorn - Mentioned for winning best actress in a drama series for "Severance."
Tramell Tillman - Mentioned for winning best supporting actor for "Severance."
Michael Yurie - Mentioned for winning best supporting actor for "Shrinking."
John Ashley - Mentioned as someone who appeared in the Zoom call to rate the show.
Martin Short - Mentioned as someone touring with.
Tim - Mentioned with name withheld.
Chris Markwart - Mentioned as host of a photo show.
Stacy - Mentioned as host of a book club.
David Goodwin - Mentioned as the founder of Apple Viz.
Microsoft Developer - Mentioned as the blind developer who created Seeing AI.

Organizations & Institutions

Apple (Apple Computer) - Primary subject of discussion regarding future plans, hardware, and design.
Texas Standard Radio Show - Mentioned as the affiliation of panelist Shelly Brisbin.
Mac User Magazine - Mentioned as a publication where panelists worked in the 1990s.
Macworld - Mentioned as a publication where Jason Snell writes columns.
Microsoft - Mentioned in relation to Copilot and its integration into Windows.
Google - Mentioned in relation to Gemini models and Google Sheets.
Anthropic - Mentioned as the company behind Claude models.
Nothing - Mentioned as a company that creates unique phone designs.
LG - Mentioned for announcing a new material called Aeromin.
Blackmagic - Mentioned as a company that made a tower GPU extender.
Material Security - Mentioned as a sponsor of the show, a cloud workspace security platform.
Apple Viz - Mentioned as a community site covering Apple for 15 years.
Be My Eyes - Mentioned as the company that bought Apple Viz and provides an AI component for assistance.
Duke University - Mentioned for its Public Domain Day initiative.
Fleischer Studios - Mentioned in relation to ownership claims over Betty Boop.
YouTube - Mentioned in relation to content ID claims and takedowns.
Sky Sports - Mentioned as the source of announcers for F1 racing.
The Fruit Company - Mentioned as the new employer of Alex Lindsay.
Meta - Mentioned as a potential employer for Alan Dye.

Websites & Online Resources

twit.tv/survey26 - Mentioned as the URL for a listener survey.
sixcolors.com - Mentioned as the website for Jason Snell.
materialsecurity.com - Mentioned as the website for the sponsor Material Security.
mbw.picks.com - Mentioned as a site for MacBreak Weekly picks.
standardebooks.org - Mentioned as a source for public domain ebooks.
projectgutenberg.org - Mentioned as a source for public domain books.
github.com - Mentioned as the location for the LosslessCut project.
bounce.com - Mentioned as a luggage storage service.
twit.tv/clubtwit - Mentioned as the URL for the Club Twit membership.
bluesky.social/@shellybrisbin - Mentioned as Shelly Brisbin's social media handle.
theincomparable.com - Mentioned as the network for Shelly Brisbin's podcast.

Articles & Papers

"Macworld 2025 will be remembered for what Apple didn't deliver" - Mentioned as a predictions piece by Jason Snell.
"Apple's Plans in 2026" - Mentioned as the topic of the episode.
"Macintosh Human Interface Guidelines" - Mentioned as an inspiring document for user interface design.

Podcasts & Audio

MacBreak Weekly - The podcast being recorded.
Texas Standard - Mentioned as the radio show Shelly Brisbin is from.
MacUser Magazine - Mentioned as a publication where panelists worked.
The Incomparable - Mentioned as a podcast network.
Lions, Towers and Shields - Mentioned as Shelly Brisbin's podcast on The Incomparable network.

Other Resources

Apple Intelligence - Discussed as a future feature for Apple products.
SF Symbols - Mentioned as a library of icons that may have influenced menu design.
Public Domain Day - Mentioned as an event where new works enter the public domain.
Golden Apple Awards - Mentioned as awards given by Apple Viz for accessible applications.
Talkback - Mentioned as Android's equivalent to VoiceOver.
Brailleback - Mentioned as an adjunct to Talkback for braille users.
Voiceover - Mentioned as Apple's screen reader technology.
Seeing AI - Mentioned as a Microsoft app for blind and visually impaired users.
Court Quest Dungeons - Mentioned as an accessible turn-based RPG game.
Mac Pro - Discussed as a product line with an uncertain future.
Mac Studio - Mentioned as a potential replacement for the Mac Pro.
iMac Pro - Mentioned as a rumored product.
Apple Silicon - Mentioned as enabling new Mac capabilities.
M1, M2, M3 Ultra chips - Mentioned in relation to Mac performance.
Thunderbolt 5 - Mentioned as a high-bandwidth connection.
Aeromin - Mentioned as a new material announced by LG.
Transparent Aluminum - Mentioned as a material coming after "Scotty."
Target Display Mode - Mentioned as a feature that could extend the life of iMacs.
Copilot - Mentioned as Microsoft's AI feature.
Gemini - Mentioned as a Google AI model.
Claude Opus - Mentioned as an Anthropic AI model.
ChatGPT - Mentioned as a widely used AI tool.
GenAI - Mentioned as a general term for generative AI.
LLM (Large Language Model) - Mentioned as a core AI technology.
Siri - Mentioned as Apple's virtual assistant.
Image Playground - Mentioned as an Apple Intelligence feature.
Writing Tools - Mentioned as an Apple Intelligence feature.
F1 (Formula 1) - Mentioned as an Apple TV+ offering and a movie.
Pachinko - Mentioned as a foreign language series.
Pluribus - Mentioned as a comedy series.
Severance - Mentioned as a drama series.
Shrinking - Mentioned as a series.
Mr. Scorsese - Mentioned for documentary work.
Mac OS Tahoe - Mentioned as a potential future version of macOS.
Liquid Glass - Mentioned as a design element in iOS.
iOS 7 - Mentioned as a past design change.
Sangerundee Hall - Mentioned as a bowling alley in Austin, Texas.
Prosta Palooza - Mentioned as an event at Sangerundee Hall.
Schlitz Garden - Mentioned as a restaurant adjacent to Sangerundee Hall.
Damenchor - Mentioned as a German female singing group.
Lions, Towers and Shields - Mentioned as Shelly Brisbin's podcast.
The Incomparable - Mentioned as a podcast network.
MacBreak Weekly Picks - Mentioned as a segment of the show.
LosslessCut - Mentioned as a video editing utility.
Fission - Mentioned as a utility for audio editing.
FFmpeg - Mentioned as a command-line tool for video processing.
Bablefish - Mentioned in relation to translation.
Mac Mini - Mentioned as a computer that could be connected to an older iMac.
MacBook Air - Mentioned as a potential lower-cost MacBook.
MacBook Pro - Mentioned as a product line.
iMac - Mentioned in relation to its design and potential for reuse.
Studio Display - Mentioned as a current Apple display product.
Pro Display XDR - Mentioned as an older Apple display product.
Better Display Pro - Mentioned as a utility for managing Mac displays.
Public Domain Day - Mentioned as an event where new works enter the public domain.
All Quiet on the Western Front - Mentioned as a 1930 film.
Garbo Talk - Mentioned as a 1930 film.
Simarron - Mentioned as a 1930 film.
Animal Crackers - Mentioned as a Marx Brothers movie.
Betty Boop - Mentioned as a character whose original works are in the public domain.