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AppStories, Episode 315 – Mastodon Web, Mac, and Utility Apps→

This week on AppStories, we conclude our look at Mastodon apps with web and Mac clients, plus Mastodon utilities.

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On AppStories+, I have a complaint to lodge with Federico and explain why the second generation HomePod is so disappointing.

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Stephen Robles on the Value of the New HomePods Compared to Sonos Soundbar Setups→

Last week, I wrote about the Sonos Move in MacStories Weekly. I love the Move’s portability and rich, warm sound, which make it perfect for use in multiple places around my house and outside. In fact, I’ve enjoyed the Move so much that I’d begun looking at Sonos soundbar and subwoofer options, anticipating that the original HomePods I use with my living room media setup would eventually need to be retired.

Then, Apple released the HomePod (2nd Generation), which iterates on the original version. I had hoped that Apple would make a soundbar of its own, so when all we got was a HomePod, I was disappointed. That pushed me further into the Sonos camp, but with my original HomePods going strong, my window shopping has been just that: window shopping.

However, after watching Stephen Roble’s latest video comparing the new HomePod to its predecessor and the Sonos Beam and Arc soundbars paired with subwoofers, my interest in soundbars has waned. Robles evaluates the HomePods from a bunch of different angles, from music and movies to smart home integration, making a compelling case for a pair of the new HomePods as the best value for someone who wants a multipurpose device.

When I think about it, that’s exactly my use case. My pair of original HomePods are the only speakers on the main floor of our house. I AirPlay podcasts and music to them, use them to control HomeKit devices, and for watching TV and playing games on my PS5 and Xbox.

I’m still disappointed Apple didn’t announce more than a new HomePod last month. I’d like to see the company explore new home-centric devices that address use cases beyond speakers. Still, for audio, it’s hard to argue against the HomePod.

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Six Colors’ ‘Apple in 2022’ Report Card

For the past eight years, Six Colors’ Jason Snell has put together an ‘Apple report card’ – a survey that aims to assess the current state of Apple “as seen through the eyes of writers, editors, developers, podcasters, and other people who spend an awful lot of time thinking about Apple”.

The 2022 version of the Six Colors Apple Report Card was published yesterday, and you can find an excellent summary of all the submitted comments along with charts featuring average scores for different categories here.

Once again, I’m happy Jason invited me to share some thoughts and comments on what Apple did in 2022. MacStories readers know that last year didn’t exactly go as planned. While iOS 16 delivered a meaningful update to the Lock Screen for people who care about customization and the iPhone 14 Pro came with substantial improvements to the display and camera tech, the iPad story was disappointing and confusing. This is reflected in my answers to Jason’s survey, and it’ll be a recurring topic on MacStories in 2023. At the same time, I was also impressed by Apple’s performance on services, concerned by the evolution of the Shortcuts app, and cautious about the company’s newfound approach to HomeKit.

I’ve prepared the full text of my answers to the Six Colors report card, which you can find below. I recommend reading the whole thing on Six Colors to get the broader context of all the participants in the survey.

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Last Week, on Club MacStories: The Sonos Move, A New Beta Beat App, Cross-Platform Apps and Services, and AI

Because Club MacStories now encompasses more than just newsletters, we’ve created a guide to the past week’s happenings:

MacStories Weekly: Issue 354

The Sonos Move.

The Sonos Move.

Monthly Log: January 2023

macOS Isn’t as Small as You Think→

Interesting comparison of macOS and iPadOS interface elements by Matt Birchler:

I will say that there are certainly some macOS UI elements that could be tricky to use with touch, but I think they’re the exception, not the rule. Still, Apple will certainly make some UI changes to accommodate touch as an officially-supported input method on the platform.

And:

There’s a narrative out there that touch is just so incompatible with macOS and that in order to make it work, the macOS UI would have to get blown up to comical proportions, but I don’t think that’s the case. Changes will be made, but I think macOS is more touch-friendly today than many people give it credit for.

I don’t disagree, and count me among those who think Apple should consider bringing touch support to the Mac.

I’ve seen this argument regarding the concern of “blowing up” the macOS UI in recent years too, and I think it’s shortsighted. Look no further than the iPad Pro: in a single device, Apple was able to let touch, pointer, and now even hover interactions coexist. Even without display scaling, I don’t think iPadOS has a comically large interface, as some believe.

There is a lot of work to be done to achieve a similar kind of input balance on macOS (think of all the elements that haven’t been redesigned in recent years, like drag controls for windows; the list is long), but it is possible, and I hope Apple gets there in the near future.

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Apple Reports First Year-Over-Year Earnings Drop Since 2019

The past quarter has not been kind to Apple. Today the company announced its first revenue drop since 2019, with total revenue of $117.2 billion, a 5% year-over-year drop. Going into today’s earnings call, the consensus of Wall Street analysts was that Apple would log $121.19 billion of revenue or $1.94/share.

Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, had this to say about the company’s earnings:

As we all continue to navigate a challenging environment, we are proud to have our best lineup of products and services ever, and as always, we remain focused on the long term and are leading with our values in everything we do. During the December quarter, we achieved a major milestone and are excited to report that we now have more than 2 billion active devices as part of our growing installed base.

The year-over-year decline was driven by multiple factors, including:

  • Shortages of iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max caused by COVID lockdowns in China
  • Soft consumer demand resulting from worldwide inflationary pressure
  • Adverse effects caused by foreign currency exchange rates

Although Apple did not forecast results for Q1 2023 during its last earnings call, the company warned in November that production disruptions would impact shipments, so the declines today should not be a shock.

Despite Apple’s unusually poor showing today, it’s also important to put it in perspective. The entire technology sector has seen significant declines, with Microsoft, Meta, Google, and Amazon all laying off thousands of workers. To date, Apple has avoided widespread layoffs and there were bright points in its earnings, including the continued growth of its services, which increased to a record $20.8 billion.

With the entire tech industry experiencing substantial financial pressures, the question going forward is how quickly can Apple bounce back. Will the company be able to meet iPhone demand, and how will its rumored bet on a mixed-reality headset play out? With turmoil in the markets at large and a major new product in the wings, Apple’s 2023 should be one of the more interesting years in a long time, both for its investors and fans of its products.