It’s that time of year again! As another year comes to a close, let’s review and rate all the products that Apple announced in 2024. We’ll go in chronological order on when Apple debuts those products. Provided is BasicAppleGuy’s annual tier list, which I’ll be using to rank every product. You can even download the template to rank them based on your opinion here.
Vision Pro
Apple introduced the Vision Pro back on June 5, 2023, at WWDC 2023 and initially launched the spatial computer on February 2, 2024. The concept of the spatial computer was promising as it features so much technology that you can wear and see through. This includes the microLED displays to view Immersive Video and spatial video, the breakthrough M2 and R1 chip for powerful, low-latency performance, advanced sensors such as LiDAR to track your eyes and hands, and more. However, tomorrow’s technology comes at a very steep starting price of $3,499, and the base configuration comes with just 256GB of storage. So this product is still in its infancy, but the ultra-high price makes this potentially new product out of reach for everyday customers. So I’d rate this a C.
M3 MacBook Air
Apple introduced the MacBook Air (M3) on March 4 and made it available on March 8. Both the latest 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models feature the M3 chip, which is based on the 1st-generation 3nm process. Overall, it was a minor update as it basically brought the improved Wi-Fi 6E speeds, hardware-accelerated ray-tracing/mesh-shading, longer battery life, and support for two external monitors but only when the lid is closed. At least the default unified memory got bumped to 16GB later this year. It’s not a compelling upgrade overall, so I’d rate this a C.
M2 iPad Air
Apple introduced the iPad Air (M2) on May 7 and made it available on May 15. Although it was a solid upgrade for the iPad Air, it was basically a repackaged version of the iPad Pro at a cheaper price point. It was a welcome change that Apple added the larger 13-inch screen size for the Air lineup, but both of those displays are limited to 60Hz, which Apple has been heavily criticized for sticking with 60Hz on non-Pro smartphones and tablets for years. The only advantage (besides the larger screen/battery) that the 13-inch Air has is the slightly better max brightness at 600 nits (vs. 500 on 11-inch) and landscape stereo speakers with double the bass. Since nothing new was compelling for the iPad Air, I’d rate this a C.
M4 iPad Pro
Alright, onto the more exciting stuff. At the same time, Apple introduced the iPad Pro (M4), and it was a massive upgrade for the iPad Pro since the 2018 models. It features the breathtaking tandem OLED display (Ultra Retina XDR), and withits exceptional brightness levels, contrast ratios, and color accuracy, it gives an excellent preview of the display technology we should expect to see on Apple’s future built-in displays such as the MacBook Pro and Pro Display XDR. It was also the first product to feature Apple’s next-generation M4 chip, which is based on the 2nd-generation 3nm process. While the hardware is ahead of its time, iPadOS overall is still not as capable as macOS for some of those who are trying to replace a computer with an iPad. Still, the iPad Pro is an excellent marvel of engineering, and it deserves an A.
Apple Pencil Pro
Alongside the M2 iPad Air and M4 iPad Pro, Apple debuted its more advanced accessory for both of those tables – the Apple Pencil Pro, which has a plethora of enhancements that digital artists would appreciate, such as barrel roll and haptic feedback. The major downside is that it works with only the iPad models introduced this year, so if you’re upgrading to a newer iPad, you’d also have to upgrade to a newer Pencil. Plus, it’s just $129, which is a much better value given that it’s the same price as the Pencil 2. I’d rate this a B.
Magic Keyboard (for iPad Pro)
Apple also debuted the redesigned Magic Keyboard, but it works with only the M4 iPad Pro. On the plus side, it features a much better aluminum palm rest, a haptic trackpad, and a row of function keys. Keep in mind that the iPad Pro + Magic Keyboard may not be much lighter than a MacBook Pro, and this Magic Keyboard is just an iterative design as it still can’t fold back similar to the Smart Keyboard Folio that Apple also discontinued. I’d also rate this a B, but a much solid update nonetheless.
Apple’s Major Operating Systems
For this section, I decided to consolidate the operating systems (introduced on June 6; available on September 16) into this section since many of the new software features are shared across macOS, iPadOS, and iOS. All in all, while there may not be any major features that stood out, there have been several nice enhancements that I can definitely make use of. Some notable ones include the following:
- macOS Sequoia: iPhone Mirroring
- iPadOS 18: Handwriting with Smart Script
- iOS: RCS Messaging and more iMessage features (Send Later and Text Effects)
The improvements for watchOS 11 and visionOS were solid overall as well. I’d rate iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia a B, and visionOS 2/watchOS 11 a C.
Apple Intelligence
Introduced on June 6; available on October 28, this has clearly been the only product that Apple has been hyping about throughout 2024 as the company continues to promote it across all of its devices that support this feature. Although many of the features introduced for Apple Intelligence seemed compelling, Apple Intelligence was far from perfect as it was initially launched as a beta. Plus, it became available in only the United States, so the user base was quite limited in trying out those features. To add insult to injury, there are still many features that have yet to come out over the course of next year. Many reviewers reported that they didn’t use the first AI features as often as they needed. With its slower rollout and limited set of features on launch, availability, and support, I’d rate this a C.
Apple Watch Series 10
Alright, we’re diving into the fall season where Apple will introduce a plethora of products. Apple introduced the Apple Watch Series 10 on September 9 and made it available on September 20. It was a more substantial upgrade in years as it features an even thinner design, an all-new polished jet-black aluminum option, and several new features that make the Series 10 even closer to the Ultra than ever before. The most notable features include sleep apnea notifications, media playback via the speakers, Depth app, faster charging, and the improved LTPO3 display that allows the second hand to refresh even in Always On mode (though Apple has yet to optimize the other existing watch faces as it was available in only Flux and Reflections). The fact that Apple moved from stainless steel to polished titanium on the higher-end models makes it harder to recommend the Apple Watch Ultra 2, even though that just got the new Black option. With all of these incredible features, I’d rate the Series 10 an A.
AirPods 4
Apple last updated the standard AirPods back in October 2021, and the AirPods 4 brings many new features that make it closer to the higher-end AirPods Pro 2. This includes the improved H2 chip that allows for Active Noise Cancellation (on the higher-end model), Adaptive Audio, and Conversation Awareness. Not to mention that it supports charging via either the USB-C port or with an Apple Watch charger. Wireless charging is still present on the ANC model although you lose out on official MagSafe support as the AirPods 4 ditch the magnetic array for magnetically aligning with the MagSafe charger. However, unlike the AirPods Pro 2, it doesn’t have an Ultra Wideband chip for Precision Finding, it was a nice update overall, so I’d rate this a B.
AirPods Max
However, things aren’t looking so great for the AirPods Max. You see, those were introduced back in December 2020. It did get updated this year, but it was really the bare minimum as it received USB-C for charging and new colors – that’s it! No other features that can be found in the rest of the AirPods lineup appear in the “updated” AirPods Max, even though it still has the outdated H1 chip. You can read more here on why the AirPods Max is a terrible value. It was a slap in the face, so this one is an easy F-tier.
iPhone 16
Alright back to the positive side. For years, Apple would differentiate the regular iPhone models from the Pro counterparts in some way by reserving new features that were introduced in the Pro models before the company brought those to the standard models at least a year later. But this time, the regular iPhone 16 models are even closer to the iPhone 16 Pro models than ever before. The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus now feature very similar display specs, the Action Button, the same 8GB of memory for Apple Intelligence support, and even the new Camera Control. These new features make the iPhone 16 a much better buy than the higher-end iPhone 16 Pro, so I’d rate this an A.
iPhone 16 Pro
Last year, the iPhone 15 Pro featured a titanium frame and Action Button. This year’s iPhone 16 Pro features the improved A18 Pro chip that’s based on the 2nd-generation 3nm process. It did fix the overheating issue that was plagued with the 15 Pro, and both iPhone 16 Pro models feature slightly larger displays. The iPhone 16 Pro Max even now has the best battery life in an iPhone, but other than that, there’s nothing much compelling about the iPhone 16 Pro, it’s still a solid phone for those who want the ultimate iPhone, so it’s a B-tier.
iPad mini (A17 Pro)
Fast forward to October, Apple quietly updated the iPad mini with the A17 Pro chip to support Apple Intelligence. However, it was really a minor spec update overall, even after three years since it was last updated, and the infamous jelly-scrolling issue could still persist even though Apple claimed that it mitigated that issue. More interesting, Apple did not even move the Center Stage camera to the landscape side unlike other recent larger iPads, but tweaked the magnetic connector on the side to support the latest Apple Pencil Pro. At least the starting storage got bumped to 128GB just like the M2 iPad Air, but other than that you’re still paying at least the same premium price as before. You’re really paying more for a smaller form factor with the same LCD display as the previous generation, no OLED display here. So it’s a D-tier overall.
iMac
Fast forward to the last week of October, Apple introduced the first Macs with the M4 family of chips over three days. The first of them was the iMac, and it was a more significant update compared to the M3 as it features several enhancements, including the 12MP Center Stage Camera, up to 4 Thunderbolt 4 ports, a nano-texture display option, newer color shades, and support for up to two external monitors (only on the 10-core CPU models). The major downside is that it’s the same 24-inch LCD panel. It’s still very great for an LCD panel, but there’s no larger option for those who miss the older 27-inch iMac. It’s a B-tier.
USB-C Magic Accessories
Along with the iMac, Apple updated the Magic Accessories to feature USB-C for charging and for a more streamlined charging experience with one cable to charge everything. However, Apple didn’t take the opportunity to redesign any of those accessories, even the Magic Mouse with its infamous charging port location. It’s a D-tier.
Mac mini
Clearly, Apple basically saved the best for last as the Mac mini (M4) is arguably the Apple Product of the Year for 2024. Featuring a significantly smaller design, Apple clearly how the advancements of Apple Silicon allow Apple to make products as minimalistic as possible. It’s also the first carbon-neutral Mac. With a plethora of I/O ports, including five USB-C ports, the Mac mini is Apple’s most versatile Mac for everyone and provides an exceptional value starting at $599 with more memory at 16GB. With that said, the Mac mini is now ranked as S-tier.
MacBook Pro
Finally, Apple introduced the MacBook Pro with M4/M4 Pro/M4 Max. While Thunderbolt 5 is a step forward for both the M4 Pro/M4 Max models, the base M4 model gets a more substantial update than ever before. The default memory of 16GB, three Thunderbolt 4 ports, the nano-texture option, and support for up to two external monitors regardless of the lid situation make the M4 MacBook Pro a much better buy for mid-range customers. With that said, the MacBook Pro is A-tier.
Conclusion
So that’s everything that Apple announced for 2024. With so many iterative updates on existing hardware and software with no major design changes, both the Vision Pro launch and the Mac mini’s redesign were the key highlights for 2024. The final verdict for Apple is what I’m grading this year for Apple: a B+ for providing very solid updates for existing Apple products with very few controversies. We all wish you a Happy New Year, and I’m sure 2025 will be another big year for Apple to introduce many new products to come!
