2024 was a year of change for Apple, as for the first time in 14 years, the company did not introduce any major new hardware products. Apple, which was notable for introducing a new hardware category every year from 2010 to 2023, only made updates and improvements to existing product lines in 2024. Innovative hardware was introduced, such as the iPad Pro and Mac mini with enhanced features, but these were just an evolution of existing categories.
Apple Intelligence was a software innovation and not considered hardware, making 2024 the first year since 2009 that Apple did not introduce an entirely new hardware product. Looking at the major new products announced between 2010 and 2023, it’s clear that Apple has consistently created new categories over the years. But in 2024, the focus was on improving existing devices and introducing new software features.
Apple broke new ground in 2024
The maturity of some of Apple’s product lines suggests that Apple is moving towards perfecting existing products rather than creating entirely new categories. Examples include the introduction of OLED display technology in the iPad Pro, the improved design of the Apple Watch Series 10, and the introduction of the Apple silicon M4 chip family.
The Apple Vision Pro, introduced in 2023, was released in February 2024, launching a new product line in the company’s “spatial computing” space. This product required a completely new operating system, ecosystem of accessories, store space and more. Therefore, it can be said that Vision Pro constitutes Apple’s biggest focus in 2023 and 2024.
Samsung and Apple are developing new technologies to avoid being left behind in the battery competition from Chinese brands.
Likewise, Apple Intelligence, announced in 2024, brought innovation on a software basis, offering users unprecedented levels of personalized automation and production when interacting with their devices. This software has been expanded to be compatible with existing products, such as iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, and new devices such as the seventh-generation iPad mini. All Mac products came with 16 GB of RAM as standard.
Apple’s long-discussed but unsuccessful electric vehicle project was also an effort that likely attracted significant resources. With the development of Apple Intelligence and Vision Pro, much of the company’s R&D capacity seems to have been directed towards these projects. Another factor is that the 2024 product line continues to bear the scars of the post-COVID-19 global economic pause, as most Apple products have development cycles lasting two to four years. With the slowing growth of consumer hardware in the global technology market and many consumers looking to extend the life of their devices, it makes sense for Apple to build on existing products. In particular, with incremental evolutionary updates such as the Apple Pencil Pro and fourth-generation AirPods, it makes sense for Apple to focus on improvements to existing products rather than new hardware categories.
