264: ‘Apple Is Not a 4-Star Company’ With Joanna Stern

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: The conversation centers on Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 11/11 Pro reviews, and Apple’s September event strategy. The hosts agree the watch’s always-on display is the standout upgrade, while the compass is useful but secondary. They debate battery-life tradeoffs, privacy concerns, sleep tracking gaps, Apple’s event theatricality, and how iPhone 11 is the best value for most buyers, especially those with older phones.

Main Topics: Apple Watch Series 5: always-on display as the key upgrade (Priority: 5/5): The speakers agree the Series 5 is mostly a Series 4 with the always-on screen added, but that one feature is transformative and long overdue. The compass is useful for navigation, but not a primary reason to upgrade. Battery life tradeoffs and the limits of sleep tracking (Priority: 5/5): They discuss how the always-on display reduces battery life enough to make sleep tracking awkward without midday charging, helping explain why Apple did not prioritize built-in sleep tracking. Apple event theatrics, applause, and audience composition (Priority: 4/5): They push back on criticism that Apple journalists are overly celebratory, arguing the audience is largely Apple employees and invited guests, and that the event is designed for consumers and a huge online audience, not just reporters. iPhone 11 vs. 11 Pro: value, battery, and camera priorities (Priority: 5/5): Joanna and John compare reviews and conclude the base iPhone 11 is the better choice for most users because the camera is excellent, battery life is strong, and the price jump to the Pro is hard to justify for many people. Testing methodology and real-world review writing (Priority: 4/5): They compare approaches to phone review testing, including battery rundown tests, real-world commuting, camera comparisons, and the difficulty of writing two substantial reviews under embargo pressure. iOS 13 rollout problems and 13.1 as the real release (Priority: 4/5): The speakers describe iOS 13.0 as buggy and argue most users should wait for 13.1, which bundles important fixes and features like shared folders and AirDrop updates. Apple’s evolving camera and health narratives (Priority: 4/5): The discussion returns to Apple framing the iPhone and Apple Watch as key camera and health devices, including fall detection, irregular heartbeat alerts, and the emotional impact of health-saving stories.

Key Arguments: The Apple Watch Series 5 is effectively last year’s watch with an always-on display and compass; the always-on screen is the real game changer. The compass is genuinely helpful for walking directions and indoor navigation, but it is not enough on its own to justify upgrading. Battery life falls enough on Series 5 that sleep tracking becomes difficult unless users can find extra charging time. Apple Watch health features like fall detection and irregular-heartbeat alerts are meaningful and emotionally resonant, but Apple must be careful not to frame the product as life-or-death marketing. Apple events are not primarily for journalists; they are consumer-facing productions aimed at millions of viewers, with applause often coming from Apple employees and invited guests. The iPhone 11 is the best value in Apple’s lineup for most people because its camera is excellent, its battery life is strong, and the jump to a Pro model is expensive. For older phone owners, the main question is whether battery life, camera quality, Face ID concerns, and storage needs justify upgrading now. iOS 13.0 is unstable enough that 13.1 should be treated as the real public release for most users. Apple’s reviews and product positioning suggest it has finally hit a mature stride in several product categories, though future improvements remain possible.

Data Points: Apple Watch Series 5 battery at wake-up: about 15% to 20% - Joanna says her Series 5 often wakes up with this remaining charge after a day with the always-on display enabled. Apple Watch Series 3 battery at wake-up: about 30% to 40% - John reports his older Series 3 typically had more remaining battery by morning than the Series 5. Watch charging time: about 1 to 1.5 hours - Joanna says she needs roughly this long to recharge the Apple Watch during the day. Apple Watch Series 5 upgrade recommendation: Series 4 owners: no reason to upgrade; Series 2/3 owners: upgrade makes sense - Both speakers characterize Series 5 as a compelling upgrade primarily for older watch owners. Apple event attendance: about 5,000 people - John mentions WWDC’s arena-sized setting as a comparison point, contrasting it with smaller event venues. Apple battery playback claims: 65 hours audio playback - John cites Apple’s spec-style battery measurements as less representative than real-world use. Apple battery playback claims: 17–18 hours video playback - John references Apple’s continuous video playback metric as part of battery-life marketing. Battery life gain from iPhone 10R to iPhone 11: about 1 hour - John says Apple’s measurements suggest the iPhone 11 improves over the 10R by roughly one hour. Battery life gain on iPhone 11 Pro vs prior model: about 4–5 hours - John says the Pro models see a substantially larger battery improvement than the standard 11. iPhone 11 base storage: 64 GB - John argues this is too little for many users and not the best value. iPhone 11 recommended storage: 128 GB - John says this is the sweet spot for most people and only costs a modest amount more than 64 GB. Price difference between 128 GB iPhone 11 and 256 GB iPhone 11 Pro: $400 - John highlights the large jump in cost when choosing a Pro model instead of the standard iPhone 11. iOS 13.1 release timing: five days after 13.0 - They note Apple moved the 13.1 release up to the following Tuesday to fix bugs and deliver delayed features. Reader email volume: about 400–500 emails - Joanna cites the large number of reader messages she received about iPhone upgrades.

Pivotal Quotes: "it really is it's the last year's apple watch with the always on screen" — John Gruber: His concise summary of Apple Watch Series 5 during the opening discussion. "i think the 11 is the iphone for most people" — John Gruber: His core conclusion about Apple’s mainstream iPhone 11 model versus the Pro line. "my advice to everybody is just wait for 13.1" — John Gruber: His recommendation after describing iOS 13.0’s bugs and instability.

Implications: For consumers, the best buys are clearer: Watch Series 5 for older Apple Watch users and iPhone 11 for most upgrader households. For Apple, the transcript underscores a mature product era, but also pressure to improve battery, sleep tracking, and software stability.