177: ‘Surface Curious’ With Rene Ritchie

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: The episode centers on two big themes: Apple’s growing openness in AI/research and a long, critical debate about Apple’s Mac strategy. The hosts argue Apple is publishing more, investing heavily in machine learning, and still deeply cares about Macs despite Bloomberg reporting otherwise. They also dissect Consumer Reports’ contested battery findings on the new MacBook Pro, ending with a year-in-review of standout products: AirPods, iPhone 7, iPad Pro, and watchOS 3, while noting Carrie Fisher’s death.

Main Topics: Apple's AI openness and research publishing (Priority: 5/5): The hosts discuss Apple beginning to publish AI research papers, framing it as a major cultural shift from a historically secretive company and a competitive necessity to attract and retain top researchers. Voice assistants, Alexa, and privacy concerns (Priority: 5/5): They debate Amazon Echo’s rollout in Wynn/Encore hotel rooms, focusing on localization, multilingual support, institutional deployment, and the privacy risks of always-listening devices in public accommodations. Apple's Mac strategy and Bloomberg's 'Mac Loyalists' story (Priority: 5/5): A lengthy rebuttal of the claim that Apple has neglected the Mac, arguing that desktop Macs are lower priority because of broader company needs, not because Apple has abandoned them. Consumer Reports battery controversy (Priority: 5/5): The hosts scrutinize Consumer Reports’ negative review of the new MacBook Pro battery life, questioning the test methodology, reproducibility, and whether software bugs or edge cases skewed the results. 2016 product highlights and year-in-review (Priority: 4/5): They close by selecting favorite products of the year, including AirPods, iPhone 7, iPad Pro, and watchOS 3, with discussion of why each represented meaningful progress. Software/hardware integration and platform direction (Priority: 4/5): The conversation repeatedly returns to Apple’s integrated approach—custom silicon, Touch Bar, secure enclave, and cross-platform frameworks—as evidence that Apple is still investing heavily in the Mac ecosystem. Carrie Fisher's death and cultural impact (Priority: 3/5): Near the end, they reflect on Carrie Fisher’s passing and her openness about mental illness, emphasizing her influence beyond Star Wars and the emotional impact of her loss.

Key Arguments: Apple publishing AI papers signals a shift from secrecy to talent competition; researchers need publication credits to build careers. The Amazon Echo is early-stage and locally useful, but its hotel deployment raises serious privacy and trust concerns. Apple is not necessarily abandoning the Mac; desktop products may simply be receiving less attention than mobile because the business mix has changed. Bloomberg’s Mac story mixes real facts with a narrative that overstates dysfunction and misreads internal Apple organization. Consumer Reports’ battery test results are questionable because the reported range is implausibly wide and the methodology was not transparent or reproducible. Safari versus Chrome battery comparisons show Chrome using substantially more power, reinforcing that browser choice heavily affects battery results. Apple’s latest hardware changes, including the MacBook Pro redesign and Touch Bar, suggest continued investment rather than neglect. The year’s best Apple products were those that combined hardware/software integration with clear practical value: AirPods, iPhone 7, iPad Pro, and watchOS 3.

Data Points: Wynn/Encore hotel rooms with Alexa: about 4,800 rooms - Amazon Echo devices planned for Wynn and Encore resort rooms in Las Vegas Amazon countries/languages support: 2 languages / 3 countries (claimed in discussion) - Used to argue Amazon’s voice assistant has limited international reach compared with Apple/Google MacBook Pro battery life per Consumer Reports: about 3.5 hours to 15 hours+ range - Consumer Reports reported wildly inconsistent results across tests Battery life observed in host testing on new 13-inch MacBook Pro: about 4 to 5.5 hours - Custom web-browsing benchmark on a 2016 Touch Bar MacBook Pro Battery life observed on MacBook Escape / non-Touch Bar model: 6 hours 20 minutes - Same benchmark showed better battery life than the Touch Bar model Battery life difference Safari vs Chrome: about 33% worse on Chrome - Same scripted workload produced roughly two-thirds the battery life in Chrome compared with Safari MacBook Pro price context: $5,000 to $20,000 - Referenced the old Mac Pro as an expensive workstation that had not been updated in years Casper mattress pricing: $500 twin, $750 full, $850 queen, $950 king - Ad read describing direct-to-consumer mattress pricing Casper trial period: 100 nights - Risk-free home trial for mattress purchases Warby Parker glasses pricing: starting at $95 - Ad read for prescription eyeglasses including lenses Warby Parker sunglasses pricing: $95; prescription sunglasses from $175 - Ad read describing sunglasses pricing tiers Audible free trial: 30 days - Sponsor offer for audiobook and audio-content service AirPods case battery status: 100% earbuds / 15% case - Host described battery status after days of use Mac desktop market observation: majority of Apple customers buy MacBooks - Argument that desktop Macs may be lower priority because notebook sales dominate

Pivotal Quotes: "they say the Mac team has lost clout with the famed industrial design group led by Johnny Ivan and the company's software team" — Rene: Quoted from the Bloomberg story the hosts are criticizing and unpacking "It's one of those things where I'm someone who's only really sick at night." — guest: Early in the episode, used to explain why the recording is being done despite illness "I love these things. They're exactly they're everything I love about Apple. It's the best purest Apple product I can think of in years." — speaker: Final section praising AirPods as product of the year

Implications: Apple’s strategy looks less like retreat and more like selective investment, while voice assistants and wearables are still being shaped by usability, privacy, and ecosystem depth. Battery tests and platform narratives should be treated skeptically unless methodology is transparent.