Putting users first by making un-serviceable laptops?

Putting users first by removing headphone jacks?

Putting users first by crippling competing web browsers on iOS?

Everything is a tradeof. I replaced my thinkpad with an air because my thinkpad, while far more servicable, was far heavier.

Apple has traditionally removed things before other companies did (both the floppy and optical drive). This angers some people, which is understandable, but others don't mind and again, it is a trade of for a thinner laptop.

Removing the headphone jack is also a trade of: recent iPhones have survived extended stays in water, which is just not possible if there is a headphone jack.

Your preferences may be different, in which case their products aren't for you.

As for crippling competing web browsers on IOS, you can download chrome and firefox from their app store. They aren't crippled in any way except that they have to use the same browser engine apple uses. Which has two effects: random websites don't get to ask me if they want to send me notifications and it prevents Chrome from completely taking over the internet.

a) Laptops are serviceable and manuals/parts are available to self-repair them.

b) Headphone jacks are simply not useful for most people with the popularity of Bluetooth. And those that need them can use Apple's class leading USB DAC dongles.

c) Web browsers are such a significant security vector that I am fully in favour of heavily sandboxing them and restricting what they can do. I like my web sites to be different from my apps.

You realize that most high end phones have removed head phone jacks? What next? Complaining about Apple removing SCSI ports?

RIP SCSI and FireWire.

> Putting users first by crippling competing web browsers on iOS?

I can happily re-enable the privacy-destroying qualities of web browsing by using Chrome on iOS, thank you very much.

it's still crippled though. Try playing webm videos, like here https://www.base-n.de/webm/VP9%20Sample.html

They won't play because all browsers on iOS use webkit, and webkit doesn't support WebM. Whereas chrome and firefox on android both support it.

They aren't crippled any more than the native browser.

They're already doing things that Mac OS users from lets say the era of Jaguar would find utterly tasteless.

I use iTunes match for my music but for 6 months last year once a month opening their music app it would force me to dismiss an Apple Music trail before I could play MY files.

App Store already has a pile of ads and paid placements before you get to the exact name match.

End of the day they don't have a product visionary at the helm they have a bean counter.

MacOS already bugs me about using Safari and other apps with periodic notification banners that cannot be disabled.

Oh, you can disable that crap for non apple apps. But Apple doesn't let you do it for theirs.

Apple has a history of making choices that jeopardize the likability of their platforms with the masses (eg headphone jack, removing Touch ID) They also have a history of getting away with it.

> jeopardize the likability of their platforms with the masses

You don't represent the opinions of the masses.

The fact that Apple iPhone sales continue unabated factually and objectively indicates that Headphone jacks and TouchID are not significant issues to warrant customers switching platforms.

Everyone I know primarily use wireless headphones and love FaceID. If they don't have wireless headphones, they just pop the little adapter onto the end and go on with their day.

So they removed features that “jeopardized likeability” yet they keep selling more every year? How is that possible?

What I mean by jeopardize is that these changes taken on their own would be seen as bad by many consumers, it is only because apple also provides an alternative (however expensive) that they end up getting away with it in public opinion (and sales).

You really think that most people prefer wired headphones than wireless? How many Android users - mostly on low end phones since high end Android phones also don’t have headphone jacks - actually prefer wired headphones?

You also act as if iPhones only work with AirPods and not any cheap Bluetooth headset you can pick up from anywhere.

Even Apple sells low end Beats Flex headphones for $50 that have the W1 chip with the special Apple sauce.

I have a pair for traveling that I don’t have to worry about falling out.

They aren't, they're making more revenue because they're jacking up the prices on a smaller number of sales.

So people are willing to pay more for phones they don’t like? Even if that is true?

They're becoming even more of a luxury fashion brand. Enough people are willing to pay the higher prices that they come out ahead, but that's not about being "likable".

Apple also isn’t losing market share. Do you really think the majority of people are clamoring for wired headphones in 2022?

> Do you really think the majority of people are clamoring for wired headphones in 2022?

Yes, I do.

Where are these people in the US? They aren’t the 60%+ who are buying iPhones. They also aren’t the ones who are buying the Google Pixel, or high end Samsung Galaxies.

Or they're buying them and putting up with the headphone situation.

Users first but users can't use a web browser that might (but unlikely) compete with their app revenue?

So if Apple’s forcing users to use WebKit is keeping great PWAs at bay, where are all of the great web apps for Android?

I pretty much only use web apps.