In Defense of Compromised Tech

The iPhone Air doesn’t have the best battery life. It doesn’t have the most cameras. Feature-for-feature, it can’t compare or compete with other phones. One can buy a Xiaomi with twice the battery size, five cameras, and a bigger screen for less money. And that doesn’t matter.The AirPods Max are heavy and uncomfortable to wear for extended periods, and they have received few updates in recent years. They are among the worst value-for-money headphones on the market. And none of that matters.The Vision Pro is not suitable for playing Beat Saber and other VR games, as it is far heavier and more expensive than other options. And it doesn’t matter.These three products are unique because they weren’t developed to be direct one-to-one competitors with the market leaders in their segments, but rather to commit to a specific, different vision of what these product categories can look like, built around the subjective experience over everything else, and make the sacrifices necessary. It means these products are also interesting in a way that few other mainstream consumer tech products are, and critics, focused on the on-paper figures, often forget this. We should want more of this, not less.The first iPhone was inherently fascinating, as it was a novelty and designed with soul. Over time, smartphones have become not merely a default part of our lives but an essential one. And with that, they have evolved to be functional and utilitarian, designed to excel in the most core, utilitarian functions. This has resulted in numerous wins for consumers, with affordable phones now competing effectively with market leaders. However, it has also made the segment less interesting. If one is competing on utility, then these electronics become like fridges, kettles, and toasters. No wonder so many technology journalists feel bored.These three products are interesting exceptions for a mainstream tech company. The AirPods Max feel more premium than anything else because Apple was willing to make the compromises that come with that. The Vision Pro offers a superior movie-watching experience and feels more luxurious than any other VR headset, as it was designed to be a flawed product, albeit a flawed product that is still superior. The iPhone Air is the most magical feeling phone released in about a decade. There is something wonderful about having such a capable and powerful device in such a slim chassis, and they were able to make this technology better subjectively by being willing to compromise on the metrics that objectively make a phone better.Part of the reason Apple can make moves like this is that it also offers more direct mainstream alternatives. The iPhone 17 is the best iPhone ever made, if one judges it in comparison to similarly priced Android phones. It’s an expensive option, but it’s easier to recommend than any previous “base” iPhone. Similarly, people complain about the AirPods Max and would like Apple to release a more traditional pair of over-ear headphones that fold, are lighter, and are cheaper. But Apple does — those headphones are under the Beats brand, and they’re good.

In Defense of Compromised Tech

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