Apple's 2024 Report Card
How did Apple do in 2024?
With less than a hour remaining in 2024, it is time to give Apple its Official 2024 Product Report Card! I had an idea a month or two ago to give every Apple product released in 2024 a grade based off what I thought of the product. In giving these grades, I used the full grading scale (A+ to F-). I also considered multiple factors, such as product design, specs, price, and how much the product changed from any previous models that may exist. I had a lot of fun writing this newsletter, and I hope you guys enjoy reading it. Without further ado, here is Apple’s Official 2024 Product Report Card!
Semester 1 (Early 2024)
Apple Vision Pro (C-)
Apple Vision Pro was announced last year at WWDC, but wasn’t actually released until February 2nd of this year. When writing this newsletter, Vision Pro was the device that took the most consideration. While this is a very impressive piece of technology, I think there are 3 main problems with Apple Vision Pro that helped me decide on its C- grade.
The biggest problem is the shortage of apps on the Vision Pro and the chicken and egg problem this creates. Developers reason that it isn’t worth their time to develop apps for Vision Pro since not very many people are buying it. At the same time, consumers can’t justify the price tag of Vision Pro if it doesn’t have their favorite apps. This brings us to the second problem, which is the price tag itself. Most people don’t have $3,500+ sitting around for a device that, at this point, nobody really needs (as opposed to a phone or computer, which most people need). The final problem is the practicality of Vision Pro. Users of Vision Pro complain about the weight, battery life, and the fact that it doesn’t work for many use cases. For example, while you can get work done on Vision Pro, it is probably much easier to just pull out a MacBook or iPad to get the work done in a more streamlined fashion.
When you put all three of these problems together, it should come as no surprise that Vision Pro isn’t a mainstream device. The goal of this product wasn’t for it to be mainstream or super successful. Apple’s goal was just to get their technology out into the field, and later come out with a product that will be more mainstream. For now though, Apple Vision Pro gets a C- for 2024. Read my full review for the Apple Vision Pro below:
M3 MacBook Air (C)
The M3 MacBook Air was released in a press release on March 4th, and this honestly wasn’t a super exciting announcement. I actually think the MacBook Air is a fantastic device and the best Mac for most people, but the M3 MacBook Air barely has any upgrades from the M2 MacBook Air. Sure, there are some spec bumps with the new M3 chip, but it isn’t a major jump (like the jump to M4). Honestly, if someone wanted to buy a MacBook Air, I would recommend the M2 MacBook Air since it is cheaper and very similar to the M3 version.
Semester 2 (iPad Event)
With that not so great first semester, we move into Apple’s second semester, which was their iPad event held on May 7th. At this event, Apple introduced the M4 iPad Pro, M2 iPad Air, and a new Apple Pencil, known as the Apple Pencil Pro.
M4 iPad Pro (A)
The new iPad Pro is an absolute powerhouse of a device. This iPad Pro was the first of any Apple device (including Macs) to get the M4 chip. In addition, the M4 iPad Pro got a new tandem-OLED display and is also significantly thinner. In my opinion, the iPad Pro is a huge success and distinguishes itself very nicely from the iPad Air and any previous iPad Pro. The iPad Pro is already one of Apple’s most valuable products, and the M4 iPad Pro was a massive success on Apple’s part, deserving of an A. The only reason I can’t give this iPad Pro an A+ is its price, which starts at $1,000.
M2 iPad Air (B+)
The M4 iPad Pro may have been the star of the show at this Apple event, but it certainly wasn’t the only iPad announced! The M2 iPad Air brings Apple silicon to a more affordable iPad at $600. The iPad Air also comes in two sizes now (an 11-inch and a 13-inch). I think the M2 iPad Air is a fantastic device, as evidenced by the fact that I purchased one for myself. I love this device and use it daily for productivity, gaming, entertainment, and creativity. It boasts great value for its price, and I would recommend it to those who want a little more power than the base iPad offers. This iPad is a soliddevice and well deserving of a B+ grade!
Apple Pencil Pro (A)
Accessories are what make the iPad the iPad, and the Apple Pencil Pro is the latest addition to Apple’s lineup of iPad accessories. Apple Pencil Pro brings loads of new features to the Apple Pencil that further enhance the capabilities of the Apple Pencil experience. I purchased the Apple Pencil Pro alongside the M2 iPad Air and use it almost daily for note-taking, drawing, and other tasks (such as creating the visuals for this newsletter). Apple Pencil Pro is a fantastic iPad companion, and I can’t think of anything it is lacking! Solid work!
Semester 3 (September Event)
In a previous newsletter, I talked all about the announcements of Apple’s September event, which focused on the iPhone 16 lineup, some new AirPods, and the new Apple Watch Series 10.
iPhone 16 (B)
After the release of the iPhone 16, many people talked about how it was a boring upgrade. Sure, there weren’t many upgrades from the iPhone 15, but I think the iPhone 16 is a great value and a solid phone! It has a new extremely powerful chip, a redesigned camera system, the new Camera Control button, the action button, and some beautiful new colors. The iPhone 16 is so good that it begins to blur the line between the base models and the pro models. What does hurt the iPhone 16 is that its biggest selling point (Apple Intelligence) didn’t release until months after the phone itself released. There are a lot of facts to consider here but after much consideration, I’m going to give the iPhone 16 a B since it is a fantastic iPhone, but it loses some points in my mind because it could have been more, and its biggest selling point came months later than the phone itself did.
iPhone 16 Pro (B-)
The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max are Apple’s flagship iPhones. Compared to last year’s Pro models, they boast a bigger display, better chip, the new Camera Control button, camera (especially video) upgrades, and better battery life. These are all fantastic upgrades, but none of them are enough to blow me away. Plus, with each year as the base model gets better, I become more and more convinced that only a very small portion of people actually need the Pro models. Sure, there is still a group of people who do need the Pro models, but I think this number continues to shrink. The iPhone 16 Pro is still a great phone, but I think Apple could have done a little more to distinguish it from the base model, especially because of the price difference.
Apple Watch Series 10 (A-)
The Apple Watch Series 10 got a lot of hate when it first came out because it wasn’t the major redesign everyone was expecting, but I am actually pretty satisfied with the Apple Watch Series 10. The Series 10 has a thinner body, a better display, and faster charging. All of these are great updates, which I’m glad that Apple brought to the Apple Watch. Could Apple have done more with the Series 10? Sure, but I still think this is a very solid watch. I have had the Series 10 since its release, and I think it is an amazing product deserving of its A- grade for 2024!
AirPods 4 (A-)
The AirPods 4 did something that hasn’t been done before with AirPods. There is now both a regular and noise cancellation model (even without the silicone tips). The ANC on these isn’t as good as on the AirPods Pro 2, but for the price, they are totally worth it. That brings us to another great thing about the AirPods 4, which is the price! The AirPods 3 were $169 at retail, while the AirPods 4 are now $129 (or $179 for the noise cancellation model). Would I recommend these AirPods? Absolutely! These AirPods sound great, have great battery life, and have powerful noise cancellation features. Totally deserving of the A- grade I’m giving it!
AirPods Max (F)
I already harped on the AirPods Max in my September Event review, so I won’t continue to do so here. Suffice it to say that Apple disappointed big time with the new AirPods Max. They had almost 5 years to bring great new updates to these AirPods and only updated the colors and switched to USB-C. They didn’t even update the chip! They still cost $549, and in some ways have less features than the significantly cheaper AirPods 2. The only good part of these is that it makes grading very easy…
Semester 4 (Late 2024)
iPad Mini (D-)
A new iPad mini was rumored to come for a while, but once it did come it was quite the disappointment. Apple hardly changed anything with the “new” iPad mini. People complain about iPhone releases being boring year to year, but this is even worse. I literally took a look at the specs page, and the only changes are a chip upgrade and Wi-Fi 6E. Apple literally did nothing else with the iPad mini. Cameras, battery life, and the display (which are all things that get changed even in incremental upgrades) are the exact same! I get that Apple wanted to sell an iPad mini that was compatible with Apple Intelligence, but they could have at least made a few small upgrades in addition. This is not quite as bad as the new AirPods Max, but it is certainly down there…
iMac (B)
The M4 iMac was the first Mac to get the M4 chip, and this was pretty much the only change with this new iMac. The only other upgrades were some new colors and a better camera. The reason I gave this a B+ after giving the iPad mini and AirPods Max much lower scores is because this didn’t need to be a bigger upgrade. The first reason for this is that it hasn’t been long since the most recent iMac was released (while there was plenty of time for the iPad mini and AirPods Max to receive upgrades). Another reason for this higher grade is that I can’t think of anything I would change about the iMac as far as the hardware goes. It is a solid Mac, and the M4 chip just makes it even powerful!
Mac mini (A+)
The previous Mac mini was already a great device, but Apple absolutely nailed the new M4 Mac mini. The most significant change to the new Mac mini is of course the size. This thing is absolutely tiny, but that doesn’t mean it can’t pack a punch! The M4 chip is a powerhouse and can handle pretty much anything you throw at it. I actually use a M4 Pro Mac mini at work, and I absolutely love this device. It handles everything I throw at it, barely takes up any room on my desk, and streamlines my workflow from start to finish. The fact that people’s biggest complaint was that the power button is on the bottom (which is not a big deal at all) should be an indication of just how perfect this product is. The M4 Mac mini is an A+ product through and through!
MacBook Pro (A)
The MacBook Pro is by far Apple’s most popular Mac, and that isn’t going to change anytime soon, especially with releases like this. The M4 lineup comes to the MacBook Pro with the M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max. I will spare you the specs, but suffice it to say that all three of these chips are absolute powerhouses. I honestly don’t think there is much more Apple can do on the hardware side when it comes to the MacBook Pro (besides making storage cheaper). Overall, this is just a solid device, and one I’m willing to give an A! This was a great product to finish out the year!
There you have it! Apple’s Official 2024 Product Report Card! With products from the groundbreaking M4 Mac mini to the quite disappointing AirPods Max, this was quite the list! I look forward to seeing what products join the Apple lineup in 2025, but until then Happy New Year!