Apple is known for throwing flashy, jaw-dropping media events to show off new products.
There was the time it surprised (and infuriated) everyone by putting a U2 album on every iPhone. You could hear audible gasps throughout the crowd when iOS 7, the last big redesign of its mobile operating system, was first unveiled in 2013. Steve Jobs was a master showman who could make almost anything, even the now forgotten Ping, sound interesting.
But lately, Apple's big events have felt less interesting.
The buzz Apple is known for generating around new products hit an all-time low with Monday's announcement of the smaller iPhone SE and iPad Pro.
The iPhone SE is an updated throwback to the 4-inch screen size Apple first introduced with the iPhone 5 in 2012. It has nearly the same specs as the existing iPhone 6s, except it lacks 3D Touch for pressure-sensitive tapping.
Why did Apple buck the iPhone's bigger-is-better trend and regress back to a smaller screen? The answer the company gave on Monday was pretty simple: because people still like small phones. 30 million 4-inch iPhones (a.k.a the now-defunct iPhone 5c) were sold last year alone.
On the iPad front, Apple took the existing iPad Pro and shrunk it into a 9.7-inch screen — a potentially attract device for people looking for a smaller tablet with the Pro's features, but nothing revolutionary.
Apple's hour-long presentation touched on other updates, like a new software platform for developers to make medical apps called CareKit. Apple talked about its environmental efforts and showed a video of a robot arm it calls Liam that deconstructs old iPhones for parts.
When Apple executives eagerly clapped for new woven nylon Apple Watch bands early in the presentation, it was obvious Monday's event wouldn't amount to much.
Reporters invited to the event at Apple's headquarters were overheard talking about how boring the presentation would be before it even started. That's because, despite Apple's efforts to keep its upcoming products shrouded in secrecy, the press managed to yet again uncover nearly everything the company had up its sleeve ahead of time.
That's not to say Apple's days of exciting, publicity-laden events are over.
The company is reportedly working on a car and experimenting with virtual reality, which should both be fascinating to see unveiled publicly when the time comes. The iPhone 7 is still expected to come out later this year, and it will hopefully have some new features that set it apart (beyond a change in size). An updated Apple Watch will probably come out later this year, too.
Perhaps the main thing contributing to Apple's decline in 'wow factor' is that smartphones and tablets in general have reached a point were new versions simply aren't exciting anymore. And until Apple starts to innovate in other areas outside of smartphones and tablets, its big announcements aren't likely to stir up excitement like they once did.
—Alex Heath (@alexeheath) March 21, 2016
