Even Oprah Can’t Paper Over Apple’s Services Flaws
The iPhone maker’s big event highlights some half-baked ideas.
Not ready for prime time.
Photographer: David Paul Morris/BloombergApple Inc. prides itself on craftsmanship and perfection. Even the desk chairs in Apple’s headquarters are worthy of their own article. That’s why it was so surprising that Apple’s new products for news, television and more feel so half-baked.
Over nearly two hours on Monday, Apple trotted out Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg and Big Bird but left a lot of blanks. The company effectively introduced five products: a subscription to a collection of magazines and other information; an Apple-branded credit card; a subscription service for a bundle of video games; a Netflix-like subscription for Apple entertainment programs; and a revamped digital hub that pulls in Apple’s video service plus those from partners such as HBO.