203: ‘Unused VIPs’ With Serenity Caldwell

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: The conversation centers on Apple’s strengths in making smaller, premium devices—especially Apple Watch and iPhone SE—versus rivals that largely ignore smaller-form-factor users, particularly women and people with smaller wrists. The hosts also discuss Apple Watch’s usefulness, watch UI improvements, unreliable MacBook butterfly keyboards, battery-life complaints on iOS 11, and speculation about how Apple may package future original video content.

Main Topics: Apple Watch size and form factor advantage (Priority: 5/5): The discussion argues that Apple is uniquely committed to making a smaller smartwatch that still includes full features, whereas Android Wear and other competitors mostly offer larger watches that are poorly suited to smaller wrists. Women and smaller-wrist users as an underserved market (Priority: 5/5): The speakers stress that many women prefer smaller watches for comfort and appearance, and that most non-Apple smartwatches fail to meet that need beyond basic fitness bands. Apple Watch utility versus the 'flop' narrative (Priority: 4/5): They debate misconceptions that Apple Watch is a failure, countering with examples of real-world adoption and practical uses like health tracking, payments, notifications, Siri, translation, and two-factor authentication. MacBook butterfly keyboard reliability concerns (Priority: 5/5): A major complaint is the fragility of modern MacBook keyboards, especially stuck or double-registering keys, which can require inconvenient full-device repair rather than simple cleaning or key replacement. iOS 11 battery-life complaints and upgrade effects (Priority: 4/5): They note recurring reports of reduced battery life after major iOS updates, but suggest the issue likely comes from edge-case bugs and background processes rather than intentional throttling by Apple. WatchOS/UI usability improvements and app list view (Priority: 3/5): The hosts praise a watchOS feature that replaces the honeycomb app grid with a scrollable list, arguing it improves discoverability, readability, and one-handed navigation. Apple's future original video strategy (Priority: 3/5): The final discussion considers whether Apple will bundle original TV/video content with Apple Music, create a separate service, or raise subscription tiers to absorb the new content costs.

Key Arguments: Apple Watch is the only major smartwatch platform that meaningfully serves smaller wrists while still offering flagship functionality, making size a substantive product advantage rather than just a cosmetic one. Many non-Apple smartwatch makers market 'small' devices in misleading ways by emphasizing screen size rather than total case dimensions and lug attachments. The Apple Watch is not merely for notifications; its value comes from fitness and heart-rate tracking, context-sensitive alerts, Apple Pay, Siri, authentication, and camera remote control. The notion that Apple Watch is a failure is contradicted by visible real-world adoption and the breadth of practical use cases people actually rely on. MacBook butterfly keyboards have a reliability issue, not just a feel issue: keys can stick or double-type after normal use, and the repair process is disproportionately disruptive. Apple likely does not deliberately harm battery life in iOS upgrades; the more plausible explanation is a mix of bugs, edge cases, and post-update background activity. Apple’s product priorities sometimes seem misordered, with thinness and aesthetics potentially outranking keyboard reliability, despite Apple’s otherwise strong hardware engineering standards. For future Apple video services, bundling with Apple Music may be more realistic than launching an expensive standalone product immediately, because Apple content volume will ramp up gradually.

Data Points: Apple Watch 42mm weight: 30 grams - Referenced as the lightest 42mm Apple Watch Series 1 and compared against rival smartwatches Apple Watch 38mm width: 33 millimeters wide - Used to show how much smaller the 38mm model is compared with competing smartwatches Apple Watch 42mm width: 36 millimeters wide - Discussed as significantly narrower than most competing smartwatch cases Apple Watch 38mm thickness: 10.5 millimeters - Cited as the thinness of the smaller Apple Watch Series 1 Apple Watch 42mm thickness: about 33 millimeters wide; thickness not directly specified - Compared in overall footprint to other watches and to the 38mm model Fitbit Ionic height: 44.45 millimeters - Highlighted as misleadingly marketed by showing only screen dimensions while ignoring lugs Fitbit Ionic screen size: 21 millimeters long - Example of manufacturer emphasizing screen metrics rather than total watch size Fitbit Ionic diagonal screen size: 35.99 millimeters - Mentioned while criticizing how dimensions were presented LG Watch Style dimensions: 42 by 45 millimeters - Used as an example of a supposedly women-targeted smartwatch that was still very large LG Watch Style weight: almost 50 grams - Compared unfavorably to Apple Watch size and weight Apple Watch keyboard app limit: 100 VIPs - Mail VIP limit discussed as an arbitrary cap Apple eBooks settlement credit: $1.52 - One speaker received this amount from the Amazon notification about the ebook antitrust settlement Another ebook settlement credit: $7.30 - Mentioned as what a voracious reader friend received in the same settlement redistribution Long-distance phone cost example: $1 per minute - Historical example used to explain how breakup of AT&T lowered consumer prices Battery usage example: Messages at 6-7% - Shown as a normal-looking battery breakdown in the discussion of iOS 11 battery complaints MacBook keyboard repair turnaround: about 3 days - The inconvenience of sending in a MacBook for a stuck key repair Apple music subscription tiers: $9.99 and $12.99 - Referenced in speculation about future Apple subscription pricing and video bundling Netflix pricing: implicitly raised over time - Used as a comparison for how Apple might gradually increase subscription prices

Pivotal Quotes: "the obvious answer is that Apple is so far ahead at being able to" — Speaker 1: Explaining why other smartwatch makers cannot match Apple’s small-form-factor success "the 38 millimeter Apple watch looks like a watch that happens to also be a smartwatch" — Speaker 1: Contrasting the Apple Watch’s subtle size with bulkier competing devices "I think the keyboard has to be reliable" — Speaker 1: Summarizing the core critique of the MacBook butterfly keyboard design "I cannot believe how many people out there continue to persist in this belief that the Apple watch is a flop" — Speaker 1: Rejecting the claim that Apple Watch is unsuccessful

Implications: Apple’s edge is not just software but disciplined hardware design for overlooked users. Rivals risk ceding markets if they keep prioritizing large form factors, and Apple may face pressure to fix keyboard reliability and clarify future subscription/video packaging.