Apple has a surprise up its sleeve for this year’s iPhone event: People
Welcome to our weekend Apple Breakfast column, which includes all of the Apple news you missed this week in a handy bite-sized roundup. We call it Apple Breakfast because we think it goes great with a morning cup of coffee or tea, but it’s cool if you want to give it a read during lunch or dinner hours too.
The importance of putting people in a room
Some companies have embraced remote working over the past two years of the pandemic, recognizing that it saves money and makes life easier for employees. But others, such as Apple, have been more skeptical.
Apple has the tech and expertise to be one of the world’s great remote companies, but it refuses to give up on face-to-face meetings without a fight. Internally this is because of a phenomenon it refers to as “serendipity,” the idea that members of separate teams will bump into each other in the corridor and share ideas. But externally there’s a different sort of magic that the company doesn’t want to lose.
Apple knows that its special events are an intense experience, and that no amount of online press releases can compare to putting products in the hands of excited journalists. Which is why, despite the many advantages of virtual events, the company will once again welcome attendees to the September 7 iPhone 14 event.
It’s not quite the first such event since 2019, since WWDC in June had a small number of attendees to watch the streamed keynote with a hands-on area. And leaked information suggests that even this event will still have hybrid real/virtual elements, and feature the pre-recorded video that has been so popular at virtual gatherings. It will also be streamed live to anyone who’s interested, of course and will likely embody many of the best characteristics of both approaches.
But there’s no mistaking Apple’s intentions. Fundamentally, at every opportunity, this is a company that wants to put people in a room. Even if it doesn’t seem to make sense from a strictly rational, is-this-the-most-efficient-approach point of view.
Virtual events are quicker and slicker than in-person ones. Remote working has numerous advantages over the office, and Apple has infuriated staff by demanding that they show up three days a week. All of this seems to make little sense–but then, it made little sense to throw resources into bricks and mortar when other companies were withdrawing to online shop, but the Apple Stores have been a roaring success.
Perhaps it isn’t rational. But Apple has a corporate culture of inspiration, of persuading customers and employees to believe in things that aren’t entirely rational. And it’s a lot easier to do that sort of conjuring trick when the person you’re inspiring is in the same room.
Trending: Top stories of the week
Apple is toying with the idea of putting more ads on your iPhone, and the Macalope is worried.
We’ve rounded up five reasons to be excited about Apple’s iPhone 14 launch next month.
Will Apple’s risky iPhone 14 gamble pay off or come up short?
Wi-Fi 7 is the next big thing. Here’s how the next wireless breakthrough will power up your Apple devices.
Safari isn’t the right Mac browser for everyone. Here are 5 reasons to switch.
Tim Cook talks inspiration, privacy, and more in a far-ranging Popular Mechanics interview.
The rumor mill
We know the iPhone 14 is coming, but what else will Apple announce on September 7?
Leaked dummy models seem to confirm that the iPhone 14 Pro will come in purple and blue.
A new MacBook Pro may be coming soon, but without the most exciting rumor.
Here’s everything you need to know about Apple’s rumored 15-inch MacBook Air.
Start saving now for these awesome upcoming Apple Pro devices.
Podcast of the week
The end of summer is approaching, and you know what that means: iPhone season is upon us! What does the rumor mill say about the upcoming iPhone 14? Find out in this episode of the Macworld Podcast!
You can catch every episode of the Macworld Podcast on Spotify, Soundcloud, the Podcasts app, or our own site.
Software updates, bugs & problems
Apple has extended its Self Service Repair program to include MacBooks, but not everyone is happy. Frustrated by the enormous (162-page!) manual and high cost, the repair site iFixit has accused Apple of creating an “excruciating gauntlet of hurdles.”
Apple has delayed the launch of iPadOS 16, saying it will arrive “on its own schedule.”
iOS 16 Public beta 5 is out now—here’s how to get it.
And with that, we’re done for this week. If you’d like to get regular roundups, sign up for our newsletters. You can also follow us on Twitter for breaking news stories. See you next Saturday, enjoy your weekend, and stay Appley.
