Apple Inc. AAPL CEO Tim Cook recently participated in a blind ranking of five iconic Apple products, during an interview. The lineup included the MacBook Air, iPad, iPhone 4 and 5, Magic Mouse, and Vision Pro.
What Happened: Cook was recently interviewed by YouTuber Marques Brownlee, better known as MKBHD, during the Worldwide Developers Conference 2024 (WWDC 24). The Apple CEO was asked to rank each Apple product without knowing the rest of the products.
“It is a tough one. It’s like asking your favorite kids or nephews or nieces,” Cook joked.
Although Cook didn’t rank the products, he praised them in retrospect.
MacBook Air
Cook recalled the first time his predecessor and Apple co-founder Steve Jobs had revealed the Macbook Air out of an envelope.
“It wasn’t about how many people would buy it. It was about establishing the foundation,” Cook said.
iPad
When asked about the iPad, Cook acknowledged its success despite initial skepticism and rumors. First revealed in 2010, this year, Apple has partnered with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT into iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS 15 Sequoia.
“You know, tablets had been in the market for a long time. Our objective is never to be first. Our objective is to be best,” Cook said.
“People thought many things that weren’t too nice about it in the beginning, including the name, and yet I couldn’t live without my iPad today.”
Magic Mouse
Cook reflected on the Magic Mouse’s ergonomic significance.
“People don’t think of that as much as they would the MacBook Air and the iPad and whatever else you’re going to name probably, but getting the ergonomics well done was key,” Cook said.
iPhone
“Oh my God. It changed the world,” Cook exclaimed, reflecting upon how it changed the way people thought about things that were on the phone. He added that the App Store released in 2008, a year after the first iPhone was released, also paved the way for new and upcoming developers.
“There were no students in the developer community at that particular point in time. Now, the developer population is very diverse from an age point of view and everything else, and it just, fundamentally, became an economic miracle for people and got well outside of just doing it for a hobby. You look at all the businesses that came out of it,” Cook added.
Vision Pro
Lastly, Cook expressed his personal fondness for the Vision Pro, which he uses for entertainment and multitasking. He highlighted its popularity among Fortune 100 companies and its unique ability to convert old photos into 3D.
“I find that it’s still an emotional experience to look at your photos, and with VisionOS 2, being able to take your old photos.
And make them 3D, I think is a big, big thing,” Cook said.
“You know, I lost both of my parents before Vision Pro came out, and being able to go back and look at those photos differently is something that, you know, it’s an experience you can’t replicate.”
Why It Matters: At this year’s WWDC, Cook announced the integration of AI-powered personal intelligence features, dubbed “Apple Intelligence,” into the operating systems for iPhones, iPads, and Macs.
Following the WWDC 2024 keynote, Wedbush analyst Dan Ives lauded Apple’s venture into AI, calling it a game changer. He stated that Apple had delivered on every item, especially in terms of OpenAI and privacy, laying out the stack for developers. This positive feedback underscores the significance of Apple’s ongoing innovations, even as Cook nostalgically ranks the company’s iconic products.
Price Action: On Friday, Apple’s stock was trading 0.34% lower at $213.52 after it closed at $214.24 on Thursday, according to Benzinga Pro.
Read Next: AI Adoption A ‘Do Or Die’ Moment For Companies, Says SandboxAQ CEO: ‘There’s Going To Be Winners And Losers‘
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy of Apple
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Comments
Trade confidently with insights and alerts from analyst ratings, free reports and breaking news that affects the stocks you care about.
