Designer Fundamental Apple Man, identified for nifty wallpapers for Mac, iPhone and iPad screens, dropped his annual Apple Product Tier Record Monday. The Apple product rankings give letter grades to all the pieces the iPhone big launched in 2024. He considers M4/M4 Professional Mac mini the most effective of the most effective, by the best way.
“For the third 12 months in a row, I’m as soon as once more portray a goal on my head and releasing my tier rankings of the merchandise Apple launched within the 2024 calendar 12 months,” he wrote. Undoubtedly, not everybody will love his selections, significantly these he grades within the low D and F tiers, however he takes care to clarify them.
Fundamental Apple Man 2024 Apple Product Tier Record ranks all gear, from finest to worst
When Fundamental Apple Man (BAG) isn’t designing fabulous machine wallpaper, he typically addresses different Apple- and tech-related topics. And now, for a 3rd 12 months in a row, he ranks all the pieces the iPhone big put out within the final 12 months.
So let’s reduce straight to what BAG ranked within the high (“distinctive, better of the most effective, flawless”) and backside (“poor, failing or unacceptable”) tiers. On the high he slotted M4 and M4 Professional Mac mini desktop computer systems.
“Lastly, in 2024, we get the most important small replace to the Mac mini,” he mentioned of the latest Mac mini. “Its quantity has shrunk to 59% the dimensions of the earlier mini & 23% the Mac Studio. And maybe most shockingly, the brand new Mac mini with M4 Professional is extra performant (on single-core & multi-core duties) than the present M2 Extremely Mac Professional, all at 1.6% the quantity!”
On the backside he put AirPods Max and USB-C Magic equipment (Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse, Magic Trackpad). And in between are 4 different letter grades stuffed with all of remainder of Apple’s 2024 merchandise.
“Each AirPods Max fan who patiently waited for 1,371 days may be forgiven for being annoyed with the useless cat bounce replace these headphones obtained in September,” BAG famous.
And curiously, M4 iPad Professional will get the second-highest rating, A (“wonderful, nice to just about excellent”), whereas the brand new iPad mini will get a D (“beneath common, flawed in some ways”).
“Apple’s 2024 iPad mini refresh felt half-baked, seemingly solely launched to make the product suitable with the rollout of Apple Intelligence,” he mentioned. He discovered it the replace a lot much less worthwhile than the earlier replace to iPad mini, when it obtained digital camera updates, 4K video recording, USB-C and extra.
Rating system defined
So how does BAG resolve on the rankings?
“Rating System Defined: If the product is model new, just like the Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional, I rank it primarily based on my opinion of it, its worth (together with value and utility), and the vibes of the general public and tech ecosystem,” he wrote.
“If the product is an improve, just like the M4 MacBook Professional, its rating relies on evaluating it to its earlier era (i.e. M3 MacBook Professional) or in opposition to present competing Apple merchandise (MacBook Air, M4 Professional/Max Execs),” he added. “If a product is ranked low, it doesn’t imply it’s a foul product (though it may very well be); it might simply imply that its worth in comparison with the earlier iteration didn’t make it a compelling replace.”
BAG describes the tiers this manner:
- S-tier: Distinctive, the most effective of the most effective, flawless.
- A-tier: Wonderful, nice to just about excellent.
- B-tier: Good, above common.
- C-tier: Common however not excellent.
- D-tier: Under common, flawed in some ways.
- F-tier: Poor, failing, or unacceptable.
2024 Apple product rankings
The chart beneath reveals how BAG ranks all the pieces Apple launched in 2024. And you’ll learn in-depth justifications for each rating on his web site.
Photograph: Fundamental Apple Man
