There was a time—not that long ago—when hearing “one more thing” at an Apple event meant history was about to be made.

It wasn’t just a line. It was the line. The magic trick. The unexpected closer that turned applause into full-blown tech euphoria. It gave us the iPod, the MacBook Air pulled from a manila envelope, and of course, the iPhone.

But in 2025? “One more thing” feels like it’s been replaced with “available to order next Tuesday.”

Apple’s not broken. They’re just… different. The magic show isn’t canceled—it’s been rescheduled indefinitely, moved to a smaller room, and possibly replaced with a press release.

Let’s unpack what Apple’s been doing lately—and where that famous “one more thing” spirit has wandered off to.

MacBook Air: The Thinnest ‘Thing’ Ever

In true Apple fashion, the MacBook Air with the M4 chip arrived with zero pyrotechnics, no live stream, and about as much fanfare as a weather app update.

But don’t let the whisper fool you—the update is legit. It supports two external displays, gets up to 18 hours of battery life, and even comes in a new sky blue color, which is essentially Apple’s way of saying, “We know you didn’t need another laptop, but look… blue.”

It’s faster, cooler (literally), and somehow thinner. Not magical, not revolutionary—but absolutely solid.

Still, no “one more thing.” Just one more iteration.

iPad Air: Laptop Aspirations, Tablet Realities

The new M3-powered iPad Air dropped at the same time, and Apple made sure to give us two sizes—11-inch and 13-inch—plus new colors like starlight and purple, which may or may not directly target your indecisive middle-schooler.

It works with the latest Magic Keyboard, which costs as much as a mid-range Android tablet, and pushes the iPad even further into laptop territory without actually calling it a laptop. It’s like Apple is playing charades with their product categories now.

No dramatic reveal. No surprise. Just a quiet reminder: “Hey, we still make iPads.”

Vision Pro: The Literal ‘One More Thing’ Nobody Asked For

Let’s not forget that Vision Pro did get a proper “one more thing” moment. Apple teased it at the end of a keynote, gave it the full treatment, and then—well—shipped it for $3,499.

Now it’s here, it’s real, and… most people have absolutely no clue what to do with it.

With the recent visionOS 2.4 update, Apple added Writing Tools, Image Playground, and Genmoji—cute AI features that make you feel like you’re using a creative suite from 2019. Still, it’s the most advanced ski goggle you’ll ever wear.

But the “thing” wasn’t just supposed to be futuristic hardware. It was supposed to change how we interact with the world. Right now, it’s changing how we interact with sticker shock.

Apple Intelligence: The Smartest Dumb Thing So Far

Apple Intelligence was supposed to be the thing. The sleeper hit. The “we’re not late to AI, we were just planning our entrance” moment.

Instead, it’s turning into the tech version of someone showing up to a party three hours late and asking, “What’d I miss?”

Let’s start with the summaries. In theory, AI summaries should be the easiest win. Every other AI company has nailed this by now. Summarizing is AI’s bread and butter. It’s the thing you let your AI intern do while you sip coffee.

And yet… Apple’s summaries often read like they skimmed the article from across the room. Sometimes they skip the point entirely. Sometimes they’re so vague, you wonder if they even read the thing. They’re like when your friend “watched” a movie but only saw the trailer.

Then there’s Siri, still showing up to work like it’s 2017. She was promised a glow-up, a real job, maybe even a personality. But here we are, still begging her to understand the difference between “play jazz” and “set alarm.”

One More Thing… Please?

It’s not that Apple’s not innovating—they are. The hardware is better than ever. The chips are leading the industry. The integration across devices is unmatched. But where’s the surprise?

Where’s the goosebumps moment? Where’s the part of the show where Tim Cook says something that makes the tech world gasp?

Instead, it feels like we’re watching a very well-oiled machine doing exactly what we expect. And as much as we love clean updates and incremental improvements—Apple was never supposed to be predictable.

So let’s just say it plainly:

An Open Letter to Apple: You’re Messing This Up

Dear Apple,

We love you. We love your stuff. You made us believe that tech could be magical. That it could delight. You made us want to wait in line for rectangles.

But this AI moment? You’re missing it.

You showed up with Apple Intelligence—the most Apple name ever—and told us you’d changed the game. And yet, it doesn’t feel smart. It doesn’t feel ready. It feels like it’s trying to be helpful and barely succeeding.

You’re playing it too safe. And in AI, “safe” doesn’t cut it.

This is a moment where things are moving too fast for polish. You can’t beta test your way to relevance. The companies you’re usually five steps ahead of are outpacing you in public. They’re flawed, sure, but they’re loud—and they’re learning fast.

Meanwhile, we’re stuck hoping Siri remembers how to send a text.

We get it. Privacy matters. On-device processing is hard. And yes, it’ll be amazing when it works.

But right now? The “one more thing” is missing. It’s time to bring it back.

Make something bold. Make something crazy. Make us gasp again.

Because if you don’t lead this space, someone else will—and they’ll get the credit for the magic that used to be yours.

Sincerely,

Everyone Still Rooting for You

What’s Your Take?

Do you miss “one more thing”? Is Apple still innovating, or just iterating? And is Apple Intelligence smart enough to stay in the race? Sound off—we’re watching, and so is Siri. Probably. Maybe. Okay, we’ll just Google it.