Episode Summary
Executive Summary: The episode mostly revolves around Apple’s 2020 hardware announcements: new Apple Watch models, Apple Fitness+, Apple One, and the iPad lineup. The hosts debate watch band materials, the usefulness of blood oxygen sensing, family setup for kids, the value of the new iPad Air, and whether Apple’s bundled services actually solve customer problems or mostly boost subscriptions.
Main Topics: Headphone ear pad materials and headphone recommendations: The show opens with a deep dive into headphone ear pad materials—leather vs. velour—covering comfort, durability, isolation, and bass response. This leads into a recommendation for Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro headphones and aftermarket pads. Apple Watch Series 6 and SE: The hosts discuss the Series 6’s faster chip, brighter always-on display, ultra-wideband support, and blood oxygen sensor, along with colors, band changes, and the cheaper Apple Watch SE as a middle-ground model. Apple Fitness+ and the fitness market: They assess Apple’s new fitness video subscription, praising tight Apple Watch integration and polished production while questioning whether Apple can match Peloton’s social/live motivation model. Apple One bundle and services strategy: The bundle is analyzed as a pricing and retention strategy for Music, TV+, Arcade, iCloud, News, and Fitness+, but the hosts criticize the small iCloud tiers and Apple’s failure to solve users’ backup/storage pain points. iPad 8th generation and iPad Air: The iPad 8 is framed as a solid, boring education/value device, while the redesigned iPad Air is highlighted as the first device with the A14 chip and as a strong midrange product with many Pro-like features. iOS 14 GM timing and developer relations: The conversation closes with frustration over Apple releasing the GM less than 24 hours before iOS 14 ships, stressing the burden on third-party developers and broader developer-relations issues.
Key Arguments: Leather-style ear pads generally isolate better and preserve bass, but velour can be cooler and more comfortable for long sessions. The Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro 32 ohm is recommended for podcasting because it is comfortable, closed-back, and easy to drive without an amp. Apple Watch’s blood oxygen sensor is valuable less as a manual test and more because the watch can monitor trends in the background and contextualize readings with motion and altitude data. Apple Fitness+ may be polished and useful, but Apple likely cannot replicate Peloton’s live, competitive, and social engagement model. Apple One is strategically useful for Apple because it bundles weaker services and makes subscriptions feel like better value, especially for existing Apple customers. The bundle does not really solve Apple’s biggest customer problem: people refusing to pay for enough iCloud storage, backups, and photo protection. The iPad Air is compelling because it brings a new design and the A14 to a midrange price, making it arguably more interesting than the current iPad Pro line. Apple’s late GM release creates unnecessary work for developers and shows poor empathy for outside app makers.
Data Points: Apple Watch Series 6 CPU: 20% faster - S6 chip performance compared with Series 5 Apple Watch Series 6 always-on display brightness: up to 2.5x brighter - Improved visibility in sunlight Apple Watch SE starting price: $279 - Cheaper watch model announced alongside Series 6 Apple Watch Series 6 starting price: $399 - Base price for the flagship watch Apple Watch battery/service pricing: $50 / $100 - Solo Loop pricing mentioned: regular solo loop around $50, braided solo loop around $100 Apple One Individual plan: $15/month - Includes Music, TV+, Arcade, and 50GB iCloud storage Apple One Family plan: $20/month - Includes Music, TV+, Arcade, and 200GB iCloud storage for up to six people Apple One Premiere plan: $30/month - Includes Music, TV+, Arcade, iCloud, News+, and Fitness+ iCloud storage in Apple One Individual: 50GB - Criticized as too small to solve real backup/photo problems iCloud storage in Apple One Family: 200GB - Also criticized as insufficient for many families iCloud storage in Apple One Premiere: 2TB - Mainly relevant for users with large photo libraries and backups Apple Fitness+ monthly price: $10/month - Standalone subscription cost Apple Fitness+ annual price: $80/year - Cheaper than some competing services Apple Fitness+ free trial with watch purchase: 3 months - Promotion for new Apple Watch buyers iPad 8th generation price: $329 - Education price mentioned as $299 iPad Air chip: A14 - First device to ship with Apple’s new chip A14 transistor count: 11.8 billion - Presented as 40% more transistors than A13 A14 CPU performance gain: 40% faster vs A12 - Apple compared the iPad Air to the older iPad Air chip, not A13 A14 GPU performance gain: 30% faster vs A12 - Same comparison strategy as CPU iOS 14 GM lead time: less than 24 hours - Developers got the GM extremely close to release DT770 Pro price: about $160 - Recommended headphone model for podcasting DT770 Pro 250 ohm difference: includes coiled cable - Preferred by one speaker if a strong enough amp is available
Pivotal Quotes: "What you need, John, is you need the Beyer Dynamic DT770 Pro." — Marco: Recommendation for comfortable podcasting headphones and better ear-pad options "You know what it reminds me of more than Peloton? It reminds me of... music lessons by famous musicians with high production values." — John: Comparison of Apple Fitness+ to Apple’s earlier, underwhelming content subscriptions "The thing that really burns me is like Apple has a problem with its customers where they have problems with their lives and their digital devices related to their unwillingness to pay a monthly fee for anything." — John: Critique of Apple One and iCloud storage strategy
Implications: Apple’s hardware is strong, but its service bundling and developer timing show mixed priorities: convenience and ecosystem lock-in for users, but not always the best solutions for storage, fitness motivation, or third-party developers.