It’s time for my Apple Report Card 2021 – a personal view of how the company performed this year, taking into account everything from product launches to issues impacting the company’s reputation.
When it comes to new products, it could be argued that 2021 was more of a continuation year rather than one in which we saw anything completely new (beyond AirTag), but I think that doesn’t really do justice to the importance of some of the product developments we did see …
14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models
As with last year, I’m kicking off with this year’s MacBooks. Last year we had the drama of Apple finally launching its first-ever Apple Silicon Macs, after literally years of speculation.
Normally, the next step in the company’s announced two-year transition from Intel to Apple Silicon would be a smaller headline, but this year saw the launch of the M1 Pro and M1 Max MacBook Pro models – arguably the most eagerly awaited new Mac models for many years.
Sure, the M-whatever Mac Pro will offer the ultimate in power when it arrives, but that’s a fairly niche purchase. The MacBook Pro is the sweet spot for most professional and enthusiastic prosumers, offering a great balance of power, portability, and usability. Hook it up to a large monitor, keyboard, and mouse/trackpad, and you have a great desktop system. But used on its own, you still have an extremely capable machine with a very high-end display of its own.
Monterey bugs aside, I really couldn’t be happier with mine. It flies through 4K video editing, but also offers phenomenal battery life in everyday use. Other reviewers are equally impressed.
If the M1 MacBook Air is the perfect machine for the average user, the M1 Pro and M1 Max MacBook Pro models will satisfy all but the most demanding power users. 10/10.
24-inch iMac
Sticking with Macs, this year also saw the launch of the M1-powered 24-inch iMac.
While this wasn’t a dramatic launch, Apple brought back the fun to its most accessible all-in-one desktop Mac. As with the M1 MacBook Air, this is more than enough computer for most home users, and while I’m a grinch who thinks gadgets should be silver or black, plenty of people adore the new pastel-colored machines.
The exec summary of the reviews was that it’s “a beautiful and colorful design with stellar M1 performance.” For the market this is pitched at, I think this is another very clear win. About the only thing I could grumble at is the non-height-adjustable screen. 9/10.
M1 iPad Pro
The iPad Pro was already an incredibly powerful device, even before Apple gave it an M1 chip. This year’s power boost came with a $100 price hike, but there are plenty of other models to choose from if you don’t need the power of the flagship tablets.
It’s an evolutionary step, but still, the M1 chip is matched with an absolutely superb mini-LED display, a Thunderbolt port, and a cute new front-facing camera system to offer AI tracking during video calls.
However, while reviewers mostly love the hardware, there’s widespread disappointment that iPadOS still doesn’t come anywhere close to taking full advantage of it. Apple famously sells an integrated experience of hardware and software, so I think it’s only fair that the limitations and frustrations (I’m looking at you, ridiculously unintuitive multi-tasking approach) factor into the rating of the device. 7/10.
iPad mini 6
Apple also finally gave the outdated iPad mini some love, with a design refresh to match the iPad Air and iPad Pro. The device also got a larger and somewhat improved display, an A15 chip, Touch ID in the power button, USB-C port, and support for the 2nd-gen Apple Pencil.
While I haven’t found a way to justify one myself, I do adore this machine, and reviewers found it “the perfect combination of size and power.”
I’ll cut iPadOS a break here since the screen size is geared to single-tasking, though I think we do have to deduct a couple of points for the (understandable but still painful) cost. 8/10.
iPhone 13
The iPhone 13 is an S-year evolution of the iPhone 12, but again we got some very nice camera improvements, and that was enough to sell one to me.
Cinematic Video isn’t yet ready for prime time, but it will undoubtedly improve over time. Macro mode is great fun. Three-times zoom is a handy enhancement. Video stabilization is a secret weapon.
Rating this device is tough. On the one hand, it’s a relatively small enhancement over last year’s model, but that’s pretty much the case with all smartphones at present. Viewed in its own right, it’s an absolutely superb smartphone lineup, though we are still waiting for Apple to catch up with some competitors in areas like a periscope lens. 8/10.
Apple Watch Series 7 and AirPods 3
Two more evolutionary devices. Both are solid buys for those in the market, though not a compelling upgrade for most. I feel a bit mean with my rating given that there’s limited opportunity in either market for a dramatic improvement, but AirPods are relatively expensive for their average sound in a competitive market, and the Apple Watch design is feeling a little stale. 6/10.
Apple TV 4K
Apple really isn’t trying here. It’s late with 4K support, and given the state of the competition, Apple TV 4K is looking like an oversized, over-priced, so-so product. As with the iPad, it badly needs a UI overhaul too. Apple is relying on the ecosystem to sell this device. 3/10.
AirTag
I’ve left Apple’s smallest and least expensive new hardware product to last, but I think AirTag is a winner. Apple has done what the company does best: watch and wait while others launch their products, then figure out how to make a significantly better version. The combination of easy setup, solid battery life, affordable price, and – most importantly of all – having every iPhone on the planet search for lost devices makes this a complete no-brainer.
The company came under fire for people misusing the devices, but that’s unfair. Apple has done more than any other company to make staking detectable, and stalkers have a choice of a gazillion cheap GPS trackers that will do the job without alerting the victim. Stalking via AirTag is news only because of the Apple logo on the devices. 10/10.
Reputation/PR
Where to start? For a company whose business is “skating to where the puck will be,” it’s astonishing to me how badly the company does this when it comes to reputational issues.
For each of the big issues that have brought the company bad publicity this year, Apple has taken its usual “We know best” approach. When it has made changes, it has been dragged kicking and screaming to its revised position, rather than taking a lead.
There’s the App Store mess. I won’t rehash the debate itself – does Apple have monopoly control over iPhone apps or a minority share in smartphone apps? – but the company clearly ought to have seen the way the antitrust winds were blowing, and gotten ahead of the story by taking pre-emptive action. Instead, it has lagged behind every time.
There’s the CSAM scanning controversy. I give the company credit for attempting to do this in a more privacy-respecting manner, and again won’t reopen the debate itself – did Apple create a tool that is easily abused by repressive governments, or could governments have forced Apple to take similar steps anyway? But the controversy was entirely predictable when the company behind the slogan “What happens in your iPhone, stays on your iPhone” starts scanning people’s iPhones.
Next up is the right to repair. The company did finally do the right thing, but that was after years of speaking and lobbying against it. This is the very definition of eventually and reluctantly being forced into a U-turn by public and legislative pressure.
Finally, we come to Apple’s employee relations. Again, I’m not going to reopen all of the various debates about whether specific employee complaints were justified or not, but there were some unarguable PR disasters. You don’t make a high-profile hire without properly vetting them, and you don’t respond to an employee survey that finds pay inequity by banning such surveys!
Apple has made so many unforced errors, it is scarcely credible that the most junior of PR execs for the smallest of companies could have made the same mistakes. For a company whose brand is its single most valuable asset, it absolutely staggers me how incompetent Apple has proven in this arena. 1/10.
Apple report card 2021: Overall
To be honest, the 14- and 16-inch Apple Silicon MacBook Pro models are such a massive thing that they alone would qualify 2021 as an overall win for Apple.
Throw in the 24-inch M1 iMac, revamped iPad mini, and AirTag, and it’s definitely a good year for hardware, even if there was less progress in some areas.
The PR side is, I guess, also a continuation of recent years. Apple just doesn’t seem to know how to get ahead of public and legislative opinion, but I do think this year has been more embarrassing than most.
Overall, then, I’d call it a mixed year – but the M1 Pro and M1 Max MacBook Pro models take the headlines for sure.
That’s my Apple Report Card 2021; how about yours? Please take our poll, and share your thoughts in the comments about Apple’s highs and lows this year.
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