167: ‘Hey Bruh You Bumped Muh Hat’ With Jim Dalrymple

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: The conversation centers on Apple’s September event, strongly contrasting its music performances and product presentations. The speakers praise Tim Cook, Jeff Williams, Phil Schiller, Craig Federighi, the iPhone 7/7 Plus, Apple Watch Series 2, AirPods, and Apple’s event production details, while criticizing Sia’s ending performance as tonally off and questioning Apple’s headphone-jack removal rationale, photo/video crowding in hands-on areas, and Samsung’s handling of the Note 7 recall. They also speculate about future Mac hardware events.

Main Topics: Apple event production and tone (Priority: 5/5): The hosts evaluate the overall event as well-run and engaging, but argue that Sia’s closing performance undercut the keynote’s energy and felt overly produced. Tim Cook and executive presentation skills (Priority: 5/5): Tim Cook is praised for being more relaxed, authentic, and effective onstage, especially in the Carpool Karaoke segment, while still being highly controlled and professional in formal settings. Apple Watch Series 2 and watch market context (Priority: 4/5): They discuss Apple Watch’s market success, the Series 2 improvements, and how Jeff Williams has become a much stronger presenter while the watch becomes more useful and independent. iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, and headphone jack removal (Priority: 5/5): The speakers defend Apple’s removal of the headphone jack as courageous and strategically sensible, and they compare the regular 7 versus 7 Plus based on camera benefits, size, and usability. AirPods and wireless future (Priority: 5/5): AirPods are presented as a genuinely impressive wearable computer and a key step toward a wireless audio future, with strong battery life, fast charging, and seamless device switching. Hands-on area logistics and media behavior (Priority: 3/5): They complain about cramped hands-on spaces, excessive photo/video taking, and disruptive behavior by press attendees, arguing it interferes with meaningful product evaluation. Future Mac hardware speculation (Priority: 4/5): The hosts debate whether Apple will hold a separate October event for new Macs or instead use briefings, with particular attention to the overdue Mac Pro and MacBook Pro line.

Key Arguments: Apple’s event was strong overall, but Sia’s performance was tonally mismatched and made the keynote end on a down note instead of an upbeat one. Tim Cook has become much better onstage: he now feels more natural, humorous, and less rigid while still remaining carefully on message. Phil Schiller’s product presentations work because he sounds sincere and explains not just what a feature is, but why it matters. Removing the headphone jack was justified because it enabled better features like battery life and stabilization, and Apple mitigated the transition with adapters and Lightning headphones. The AirPods are not a trivial accessory; they function like tiny computers and represent Apple’s push toward a wireless future. The Apple Watch’s value is strongest for people who do not already wear a traditional watch, and Series 2 meaningfully improves fitness and independence. Apple’s hands-on areas are increasingly compromised by photo/video obsession, making it harder for attendees to actually test products. Samsung should have handled the Note 7 recall more decisively; the hosts see the partial fix approach as a PR mistake. A new Mac event is plausible because Mac hardware is overdue, but Apple may prefer briefings or a single consolidated event rather than a separate October keynote.

Data Points: Apple event keynote peak livestream audience: Highest ever for Akamai - The event hit the highest simultaneous streaming peak Akamai had ever handled, including all previous Apple and Olympics streams. Apple Watch ranking by revenue: 2nd in 2015 - Tim Cook showed Apple Watch was second only to Rolex among watch companies by revenue in 2015. Apple Watch on sale duration: 8 months - Apple noted it had been on sale only eight months when it reached the number-two revenue position. iPhone generations discussed: 10th generation - The speaker classified the iPhone 7/7 Plus as the 10th flagship iPhone generation. Steve Jobs personally introduced iPhones: 3 of 10 - Only the original iPhone, iPhone 3G, and iPhone 4 were introduced by Steve Jobs. Schiller-led iPhone introductions: 7 of 10 - Phil Schiller has introduced seven of the ten flagship iPhones discussed. iPhone 7 keynote timing: 10:54 - The transcript notes iPhone coverage began at 10:54 in the keynote run-of-show. Apple Watch segment timing: 10:25 - The Apple Watch Series 2 portion began at 10:25 in the keynote outline. AirPods price: $159 - Discussed as the price point Apple set for AirPods, with the hosts arguing it reflects hardware cost and margin constraints. AirPods battery life: 5 hours advertised - Apple’s advertised AirPods battery life was cited during the discussion. AirPods charging time: less than 15 minutes to full - One host said the AirPods charged from dead to full in under 15 minutes. AirPods flight test battery remaining: 44% - After a cross-country flight listening for most of the trip, the reviewer still had 44% battery remaining. Apple Watch Series 2 GPS independence: available - The hosts emphasize GPS as a key feature enabling the watch to function more independently from the iPhone. Mac Pro age: 1,000+ days - They note the Mac Pro had passed its thousandth day without an update. iPhone 7 Plus camera zoom: 2x optical zoom - The Plus model’s second camera and 2x zoom were a major decision point in the size-versus-camera tradeoff. A10 fusion architecture: 2 high-performance + 2 high-efficiency cores - The new iPhone chip was described as a quad-core design split between speed and power efficiency. Power-efficient core claim: 1/5 the energy - The low-power cores were described as using one-fifth the energy of the high-performance cores. Akamai livestream comparison: higher peak than Olympics - The peak Apple event stream exceeded Akamai’s highest previous simultaneous streaming load, including the Olympics.

Pivotal Quotes: "It was a really good event. I thought it was a great event up until the end." — Speaker 1: Opening assessment of the keynote, framing the event positively but singling out the ending as a problem. "Sometimes it seems like the music side of Apple is just trying too hard." — Speaker 2: Critique of the Sia performance and Apple’s increasingly theatrical music-booking choices. "We're introducing another new color. We call it black." — Speaker 1: Praise for Phil Schiller’s direct, deadpan product framing during the iPhone 7 reveal.

Implications: Apple’s product strategy is moving further toward wireless, independent devices, and more polished executive storytelling. The iPhone/Watch/AirPods direction looks coherent, but Apple must balance innovation with user transition pain and avoid distracting event theatrics.