Op-Ed: Those bold Apple predictions for 2014 were largely off the mark
On Jan. 1, I offered my Apple predictions for the year ahead. No one will ever accuse me of being Nostradamus.
Mostly a miss
The iWatch
I noted “Besides the mythical ‘iTV,’ the ‘iWatch’ has been the most talked about upcoming Apple device in recent memory. It should arrive in 2014.”
What happened: Technically this was true, since Apple’s first wearable device was announced in September. However, it won’t be arriving in stores until early next year.
The biggest miss here is when I said “the iWatch will be available in two models: one that requires an iOS device to work (like the Pebble Watch), and one that can operate on its own.”
Nope. The Apple Watch needs an iPhone to function.
A Retina iMac
“The MacBook Air is the next Apple product that is likely to receive the Retina display treatment. However, a Retina display iMac is also possible.” I continued, “Apple will skip Retina and unveil an iMac with a 4K display.”
What happened: The MacBook Air is still not available with a Retina display. The iMac with a Retina 5K display did debut, however.
A complete miss
The iPad Pro
I said: “Whether Apple calls it the iPad Pro, iPad Max, or iPad Maxi (the horror), one thing is perfectly clear. In 2014, Cupertino will unveil a 12.9 inch, or 13-inch tablet.”
What happened: iPad Pro rumors continue, but the target date is now sometime in 2015.
A reimagined iPod
“We predict Apple will refresh iPod in a way that will make audiophiles proud. Think a high-end, updated iPod classic, as opposed to a next-generation iPod touch.”
What happened: The iPod classic was retired and nothing about the rest of the iPod line changed in 2014.
Summary
I’m going to try this again very soon when I publish my predictions for 2015. Until then, happy holidays.
