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There was that Apple wireless charging pad that never came out because they couldn’t get it to work.

photonerd 3y ago
But that’s sort of what I mean: announced, never any mention again. Just cancelled. No additional “here’s that thing but it’s half built”, just… dropped And it’s a pretty rare thing to have that mode of failure for them.
- chaostheory 3y ago
  Yeah, I feel that this is why Apple announcements are exciting: they won’t show prototypes that may or may not be released to consumers. What they show they intend to ship within a year.
giobox 3y ago
There was also the infamous white iPhone 4 debacle, they had almost shipped the next one the following year before anyone got a white handset. A white handset may not sound like a big deal, but people really wanted that thing. That sticks out as one of the worst delays between announcement and shipping I can recall in Apple's history (~10 months and multiple delays). > https://venturebeat.com/mobile/apple-explains-white-iphone-delay/ https://venturebeat.com/mobile/apple-explains-white-iphone-d...
- photonerd 3y ago
  Yeah, that was a technical delay (or rather a quality delay with a technical process). Was a super interesting problem they ran into. Very fascinating from a material science standpoint
  - SV_BubbleTime 3y ago
    Can you fill me in without search? I somehow missed the whole thing.
    - simondotau 3y ago
      Fill you in about what exactly? And what do you mean by "without search"? There is contemporaneous reporting on the matter available online, it's going to be more useful for you than someone's twelve year old recollections. https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2010/06/apple-delays-white-iphone-4-due-to-manufacturing-challenge/ https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2010/06/apple-delays-white-i...
    - beAbU 3y ago
      IIRC The home button and the bezel were made by different manufacturers IIRC, and the two plastics aged/coloured at different rates. It took them ages to get it such that the button and bezel will colour match perfectly. Easy to do with black, very difficult with white.

But that’s sort of what I mean: announced, never any mention again. Just cancelled. No additional “here’s that thing but it’s half built”, just… dropped And it’s a pretty rare thing to have that mode of failure for them.

chaostheory 3y ago
Yeah, I feel that this is why Apple announcements are exciting: they won’t show prototypes that may or may not be released to consumers. What they show they intend to ship within a year.

giobox 3y ago

There was also the infamous white iPhone 4 debacle, they had almost shipped the next one the following year before anyone got a white handset. A white handset may not sound like a big deal, but people really wanted that thing. That sticks out as one of the worst delays between announcement and shipping I can recall in Apple's history (~10 months and multiple delays). > https://venturebeat.com/mobile/apple-explains-white-iphone-delay/ https://venturebeat.com/mobile/apple-explains-white-iphone-d...

photonerd 3y ago
Yeah, that was a technical delay (or rather a quality delay with a technical process). Was a super interesting problem they ran into. Very fascinating from a material science standpoint
- SV_BubbleTime 3y ago
  Can you fill me in without search? I somehow missed the whole thing.
  - simondotau 3y ago
    Fill you in about what exactly? And what do you mean by "without search"? There is contemporaneous reporting on the matter available online, it's going to be more useful for you than someone's twelve year old recollections. https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2010/06/apple-delays-white-iphone-4-due-to-manufacturing-challenge/ https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2010/06/apple-delays-white-i...
  - beAbU 3y ago
    IIRC The home button and the bezel were made by different manufacturers IIRC, and the two plastics aged/coloured at different rates. It took them ages to get it such that the button and bezel will colour match perfectly. Easy to do with black, very difficult with white.