“I suspect Apple has a pretty convincing runway for iPhone Duo…they have updates lined up that will address so-called shortcomings found with version one…
If you have that already lined up…I think Apple, they want to make sure that [iPhone Duo] receives a big launch.
They imp into foldables.” - @NeilCybart
From AVALON episode “My First Apple Park Apples.” aboveavalon.com/avalonepisodes…
Listen to the FULL 77-minute episode and receive new episodes every Tuesday by subscribing for just $10/month (save by going with an annual plan or Above Avalon membership bundle):
app.moonclerk.com/pay/3rgpnjplsh…
More information about AVALON (@avalonpod): aboveavalon.com/avalon
If you have that already lined up…I think Apple, they want to make sure that [iPhone Duo] receives a big launch.
They imp into foldables.” - @NeilCybart
From AVALON episode “My First Apple Park Apples.” aboveavalon.com/avalonepisodes…
Listen to the FULL 77-minute episode and receive new episodes every Tuesday by subscribing for just $10/month (save by going with an annual plan or Above Avalon membership bundle):
app.moonclerk.com/pay/3rgpnjplsh…
More information about AVALON (@avalonpod): aboveavalon.com/avalon
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“So many players in Silicon Valley have completely struggled with [selling smart home gadgets] over the years, where you have these stationary displays, you have these speakers, they’re ugly…they’re not things you want people to see. You feel embarrassed having them on your eView,” says @NeilCybart.
From AVALON episode “Live From New York…Almost.” aboveavalon.com/avalonepisodes…
Listen to the FULL 50-minute episode and receive new episodes every Tuesday by subscribing for just $10/month (or save by going with an annual plan):
app.moonclerk.com/pay/3rgpnjplsh…
More information about AVALON (@avalonpod): aboveavalon.com/avalon
From AVALON episode “Live From New York…Almost.” aboveavalon.com/avalonepisodes…
Listen to the FULL 50-minute episode and receive new episodes every Tuesday by subscribing for just $10/month (or save by going with an annual plan):
app.moonclerk.com/pay/3rgpnjplsh…
More information about AVALON (@avalonpod): aboveavalon.com/avalon
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New Podcast Episode:
Live From New York...Almost
Recorded shortly after returning from Apple’s home “experience” in NYC, @neilcybart shares his initial thoughts and observations regarding HomeView.
Discussion topics:
- Apple's home "experience."
- Neil's initial impressions seeing HomeView.
- HomeView usage trends / shared settings implications.
- Apple's missed opportunity with the HomeView "Designed for life at home" video.
- Strongest / weakest use cases and settings for HomeView.
- The broader strategy for HomeView, including where Apple can take the device.
aboveavalon.com/avalonepisodes…
Live From New York...Almost
Recorded shortly after returning from Apple’s home “experience” in NYC, @neilcybart shares his initial thoughts and observations regarding HomeView.
Discussion topics:
- Apple's home "experience."
- Neil's initial impressions seeing HomeView.
- HomeView usage trends / shared settings implications.
- Apple's missed opportunity with the HomeView "Designed for life at home" video.
- Strongest / weakest use cases and settings for HomeView.
- The broader strategy for HomeView, including where Apple can take the device.
aboveavalon.com/avalonepisodes…
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In the 2010s, Amazon was crowned king of the smart home. @neilcybart publicly disagreed with the coronation. A decade later, the smart home remains open from a competitive perspective.
From AVALON episode “The Napoleon of the Smart Home.” aboveavalon.com/avalonepisodes…
Listen to the and receive new episodes every Tuesday by subscribing for just $10/month (or save by going with an annual plan):
app.moonclerk.com/pay/3rgpnjplsh…
More information about AVALON (@avalonpod): aboveavalon.com/avalon
From AVALON episode “The Napoleon of the Smart Home.” aboveavalon.com/avalonepisodes…
Listen to the and receive new episodes every Tuesday by subscribing for just $10/month (or save by going with an annual plan):
app.moonclerk.com/pay/3rgpnjplsh…
More information about AVALON (@avalonpod): aboveavalon.com/avalon
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“It seems hard to believe, and I think a lot of people have mentally erased this period from their memories, there were people who thought [in the 2010s that] smart speakers, such as Echo speakers from Amazon, would replace smartphones. They would replace our personal gadgets,” a way we had this sort of stationary smart speaker mania [mirage] unfold in the 2010s…
I was not buying any of this…[it] was a giant head fake and I was saying it as loud as I can…”
From AVALON episode “The Napoleon of the Smart Home.” aboveavalon.com/avalonepisodes…
Listen to the FULL 58-minute episode and receive new episodes every Tuesday by subscribing for just $10/month (or save by going with an annual plan):
app.moonclerk.com/pay/3rgpnjplsh…
More information about AVALON (@avalonpod): aboveavalon.com/avalon
I was not buying any of this…[it] was a giant head fake and I was saying it as loud as I can…”
From AVALON episode “The Napoleon of the Smart Home.” aboveavalon.com/avalonepisodes…
Listen to the FULL 58-minute episode and receive new episodes every Tuesday by subscribing for just $10/month (or save by going with an annual plan):
app.moonclerk.com/pay/3rgpnjplsh…
More information about AVALON (@avalonpod): aboveavalon.com/avalon
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The AVALON Podcast retweeted
With Apple’s “Welcome home” event coming up tomorrow, my newest AVALON podcast episode provided good background regarding the broader smart home genre (and why so many of the 2010s prognostications regarding the smart home never panned out).
New Podcast Episode:
The Napoleon of the Smart Home
@neilcybart’s discussion topics:
- The smart home (2010s vs. 2020s).
- Smart speaker mania.
- Amazon's premature coronation in the home.
- HomePods.
- How Amazon, Google, and Apple look at the smart home.
- Why the smart home's value will rise going forward.
- What Apple will do with the smart home.
- Privacy in the home.
- Full Disk Access (macOS) will see changes.
- Follow-up to OpenAI's DevDay 2026.
- Vibecoding hardware.
- Automation in the home.
aboveavalon.com/avalonepisodes…
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Some people have raised a concern that Tim Cook has too much power as executive chairman, that Cook is running Apple with Ternus taking on more of a COO-type role.
“I do not think having Tim Cook as executive chairman somehow is demeaning to John Ternus in the CEO role,” says ok can handle tasks that John Ternus no longer would need to handle. That doesn’t mean that the CEO role at Apple is in some ways watered down.
It doesn’t mean that it is losing power.
It means that the role of the CEO will evolve. It’s been evolving. The [Apple] CEO role…it didn’t use to be, you have to be this sort of global statesman of a way…Apple wasn’t big enough…In a way Tim Cook needed that CEO role to encompass everything that he did from a geopolitical perspective.
With [Cook] as executive chairman, I think the CEO role can…go back to the way it was.”
From AVALON episode “Some Not-So-Random Muse-ings”
aboveavalon.com/avalonepisodes…
Listen to the FULL 79-minute episode and receive new episodes every Tuesday by subscribing for just $10/month (or save by going with an annual plan):
app.moonclerk.com/pay/3rgpnjplsh…
More information about AVALON (@avalonpod): aboveavalon.com/avalon
“I do not think having Tim Cook as executive chairman somehow is demeaning to John Ternus in the CEO role,” says ok can handle tasks that John Ternus no longer would need to handle. That doesn’t mean that the CEO role at Apple is in some ways watered down.
It doesn’t mean that it is losing power.
It means that the role of the CEO will evolve. It’s been evolving. The [Apple] CEO role…it didn’t use to be, you have to be this sort of global statesman of a way…Apple wasn’t big enough…In a way Tim Cook needed that CEO role to encompass everything that he did from a geopolitical perspective.
With [Cook] as executive chairman, I think the CEO role can…go back to the way it was.”
From AVALON episode “Some Not-So-Random Muse-ings”
aboveavalon.com/avalonepisodes…
Listen to the FULL 79-minute episode and receive new episodes every Tuesday by subscribing for just $10/month (or save by going with an annual plan):
app.moonclerk.com/pay/3rgpnjplsh…
More information about AVALON (@avalonpod): aboveavalon.com/avalon
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“If we use AI agents the way companies want us to use them, we’re going to really end up in some bad spots,” says @NeilCybart.
Meta is positioning Muse “as a way for people to save money. They’re positioning it as ‘use Muse to transact on your behalf.’ Buy why is that? That’s going to make money. They want to take a percentage of the transaction value…It makes me wonder, maybe having your AI agent handle all of your transactions, maybe that’s not the best initial use case for something like this.”
From AVALON episode “Some Not-So-Random Muse-ings”
aboveavalon.com/avalonepisodes…
Listen to the FULL 79-minute episode and receive new episodes every Tuesday by subscribing for just $10/month (or save by going with an annual plan): app.moonclerk.com/pay/3rgpnjplsh…
More information about AVALON (@avalonpod): aboveavalon.com/avalon
Meta is positioning Muse “as a way for people to save money. They’re positioning it as ‘use Muse to transact on your behalf.’ Buy why is that? That’s going to make money. They want to take a percentage of the transaction value…It makes me wonder, maybe having your AI agent handle all of your transactions, maybe that’s not the best initial use case for something like this.”
From AVALON episode “Some Not-So-Random Muse-ings”
aboveavalon.com/avalonepisodes…
Listen to the FULL 79-minute episode and receive new episodes every Tuesday by subscribing for just $10/month (or save by going with an annual plan): app.moonclerk.com/pay/3rgpnjplsh…
More information about AVALON (@avalonpod): aboveavalon.com/avalon
0
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New Podcast Episode:
The Napoleon of the Smart Home
@neilcybart’s discussion topics:
- The smart home (2010s vs. 2020s).
- Smart speaker mania.
- Amazon's premature coronation in the home.
- HomePods.
- How Amazon, Google, and Apple look at the smart home.
- Why the smart home's value will rise going forward.
- What Apple will do with the smart home.
- Privacy in the home.
- Full Disk Access (macOS) will see changes.
- Follow-up to OpenAI's DevDay 2026.
- Vibecoding hardware.
- Automation in the home.
aboveavalon.com/avalonepisodes…
The Napoleon of the Smart Home
@neilcybart’s discussion topics:
- The smart home (2010s vs. 2020s).
- Smart speaker mania.
- Amazon's premature coronation in the home.
- HomePods.
- How Amazon, Google, and Apple look at the smart home.
- Why the smart home's value will rise going forward.
- What Apple will do with the smart home.
- Privacy in the home.
- Full Disk Access (macOS) will see changes.
- Follow-up to OpenAI's DevDay 2026.
- Vibecoding hardware.
- Automation in the home.
aboveavalon.com/avalonepisodes…
0
0
1
1,852
New Podcast Episode:
Some Not-So-Random Muse-ings
@NeilCybart explained why he is bearish on AI agents in their current form, but bullish on automation.
Additional discussion topics:
- Concerns that some people have with Apple having a powerful executive chairman.
- Oura delays its IPO.
- OpenAI unveils dots / another AI agent framed as cute friends / animals.
- AI grifters lying about AI agent capability.
- How should we frame early product success? Neil's theory regarding why products that are positioned as the future out of the gate don't go on to meet or exceed expectations.
aboveavalon.com/avalonepisodes…
Some Not-So-Random Muse-ings
@NeilCybart explained why he is bearish on AI agents in their current form, but bullish on automation.
Additional discussion topics:
- Concerns that some people have with Apple having a powerful executive chairman.
- Oura delays its IPO.
- OpenAI unveils dots / another AI agent framed as cute friends / animals.
- AI grifters lying about AI agent capability.
- How should we frame early product success? Neil's theory regarding why products that are positioned as the future out of the gate don't go on to meet or exceed expectations.
aboveavalon.com/avalonepisodes…
0
0
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1,278
The AVALON Podcast retweeted
I record a weekly podcast about Apple called AVALON.
- Episodes are packed with Apple product strategy talk.
- A "Give Me a Break" segment allows me to go off on something that I found ridiculous over the past week.
- A "Tell Me More" segment is dedicated to discussing something interesting that has been on my mind.
- Episodes typically come out to about 60 to 70 minutes.
- No ad / sponsorship breaks that need skipping.
- New episodes on Tuesdays.
- A paid podcast available exclusively to subscribers. $10/month or $100/year. Price drops to $6/month or $60/year for Above Avalon Members. The podcast is free for Above Avalon members with the Podcasts add-on.
- Episodes can be listened to in various podcast players including Apple Podcasts.
Join me on the AVALON journey: aboveavalon.com/avalon
- Episodes are packed with Apple product strategy talk.
- A "Give Me a Break" segment allows me to go off on something that I found ridiculous over the past week.
- A "Tell Me More" segment is dedicated to discussing something interesting that has been on my mind.
- Episodes typically come out to about 60 to 70 minutes.
- No ad / sponsorship breaks that need skipping.
- New episodes on Tuesdays.
- A paid podcast available exclusively to subscribers. $10/month or $100/year. Price drops to $6/month or $60/year for Above Avalon Members. The podcast is free for Above Avalon members with the Podcasts add-on.
- Episodes can be listened to in various podcast players including Apple Podcasts.
Join me on the AVALON journey: aboveavalon.com/avalon
My First Apple Park Apples
In this 77-minute episode, @neilcybart discusses Apple’s “Surprise and Shine” event at Apple Park.
aboveavalon.com/avalonepisodes…
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Pervert Glasses Aren’t It
In this 71-minute episode, @neilcybart talks about the following topics:
- Apple's big PR launch push for iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max.
- More on iPhone Duo strategy.
- The reasons pre-taped presentations exceed live keynotes for Apple.
- Apple unveils Apple Music Hall in London.
- Tim Cook executive chairman-ing.
- Bloomberg's Mark Gurman being upset about influencers getting iPhone 18 Pro review units.
- How Apple can shift the smart glasses market with its own pair of glasses.
aboveavalon.com/avalonepisodes…
In this 71-minute episode, @neilcybart talks about the following topics:
- Apple's big PR launch push for iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max.
- More on iPhone Duo strategy.
- The reasons pre-taped presentations exceed live keynotes for Apple.
- Apple unveils Apple Music Hall in London.
- Tim Cook executive chairman-ing.
- Bloomberg's Mark Gurman being upset about influencers getting iPhone 18 Pro review units.
- How Apple can shift the smart glasses market with its own pair of glasses.
aboveavalon.com/avalonepisodes…
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My First Apple Park Apples
In this 77-minute episode, @neilcybart discusses Apple’s “Surprise and Shine” event at Apple Park.
aboveavalon.com/avalonepisodes…
In this 77-minute episode, @neilcybart discusses Apple’s “Surprise and Shine” event at Apple Park.
aboveavalon.com/avalonepisodes…
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One quick programming note:
This week's podcast episode will be coming out later today - Wednesday.
This week's podcast episode will be coming out later today - Wednesday.
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What-Ifs Ahead of Apple’s Big Event
@NeilCybart shares what he’s thinking about ahead of Apple’s big product event taking place on September 9th at Apple Park.
Subscribe to listen to this episode (and receive new AVALON episodes every Tuesday):
aboveavalon.com/avalonepisodes…
@NeilCybart shares what he’s thinking about ahead of Apple’s big product event taking place on September 9th at Apple Park.
Subscribe to listen to this episode (and receive new AVALON episodes every Tuesday):
aboveavalon.com/avalonepisodes…
0
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Crocheting at a Baseball Game
@NeilCybart talks about Apple product priorities for the John Ternus era. Additional discussion topics include:
- Baseball in Apple Immersive Video
- Apple's updated leadership page.
- Apple's revised terms for iOS app distribution in the EU.
- The Information's "Apple stumbled into AI hardware success with the Mac" article.
- Data center backlash in the U.S. / Gavin Baker's attempt to spin data center PR.
Subscribe to listen to this episode (and receive new AVALON episodes every Tuesday):
aboveavalon.com/avalonepisodes…
@NeilCybart talks about Apple product priorities for the John Ternus era. Additional discussion topics include:
- Baseball in Apple Immersive Video
- Apple's updated leadership page.
- Apple's revised terms for iOS app distribution in the EU.
- The Information's "Apple stumbled into AI hardware success with the Mac" article.
- Data center backlash in the U.S. / Gavin Baker's attempt to spin data center PR.
Subscribe to listen to this episode (and receive new AVALON episodes every Tuesday):
aboveavalon.com/avalonepisodes…
0
1
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678
Legacies Can Be a Tricky Thing
@NeilCybart talks about how will historians will grade Tim Cook’s legacy as Apple CEO.
Additional discussion topics include:
- Walmart accepting Apple Pay
- Apple unveiling M6 and M5 Ultra and broader updates to the Mac mini and Mac Studio
- App Store sales weakness.
- The auto industry A/B testing a car with and without CarPlay
- The WSJ justifying Stanley Druckenmiller using AI to write his WSJ op-ed.
- What are we going to do with additional free time made available by AI?
Subscribe to listen: aboveavalon.com/notes/2026/8/3…
@NeilCybart talks about how will historians will grade Tim Cook’s legacy as Apple CEO.
Additional discussion topics include:
- Walmart accepting Apple Pay
- Apple unveiling M6 and M5 Ultra and broader updates to the Mac mini and Mac Studio
- App Store sales weakness.
- The auto industry A/B testing a car with and without CarPlay
- The WSJ justifying Stanley Druckenmiller using AI to write his WSJ op-ed.
- What are we going to do with additional free time made available by AI?
Subscribe to listen: aboveavalon.com/notes/2026/8/3…
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749
Where Are the Pirates?
In this episode, @NeilCybart talks about why he believes the best place to find genuine “crazy ones” thinking right now in tech is in the spatial computing space.
“You need to be a little crazy to believe people will one day be ok looking at the world through what amounts to 100% passthrough.”
aboveavalon.com/notes/2026/8/2…
In this episode, @NeilCybart talks about why he believes the best place to find genuine “crazy ones” thinking right now in tech is in the spatial computing space.
“You need to be a little crazy to believe people will one day be ok looking at the world through what amounts to 100% passthrough.”
aboveavalon.com/notes/2026/8/2…
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Ep 58: Messes Are Frowned Upon on Wall Street
@NeilCybart discusses Apple's 3Q26 earnings.
Additional discussion topics: More on Apple/OpenAI, Meta earnings, ridiculous reactions to Leopold Aschenbrenner’s Situational Awareness blowing up, and thoughts on Apple Upgrade & Apple Vision Pro.
AVALON is a private podcast about Apple unlike anything you have listened to before. Join @NeilCybart each week for a journey through the world of Apple - loosely modeled after Apple’s famous Monday morning meetings.
Subscribe here: aboveavalon.com/avalonepisodes…
@NeilCybart discusses Apple's 3Q26 earnings.
Additional discussion topics: More on Apple/OpenAI, Meta earnings, ridiculous reactions to Leopold Aschenbrenner’s Situational Awareness blowing up, and thoughts on Apple Upgrade & Apple Vision Pro.
AVALON is a private podcast about Apple unlike anything you have listened to before. Join @NeilCybart each week for a journey through the world of Apple - loosely modeled after Apple’s famous Monday morning meetings.
Subscribe here: aboveavalon.com/avalonepisodes…
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Apple Upgrade serves as a competitive advantage for Apple given the company’s industry-leading HW residual values.
@NeilCybart discusses the factors driving those strong residual values.
Listen to the FULL 64-minute AVALON podcast episode, “Hey Farley, Let’s Try Something new episodes every Tuesday by becoming a subscriber. Just $10/month (or save with an annual plan).
Monthly: app.moonclerk.com/pay/3rgpnjplsh…
Annual: app.moonclerk.com/pay/66zphi7fpi…
More information regarding EP 57 can be found here: aboveavalon.com/avalonepisodes…
@NeilCybart discusses the factors driving those strong residual values.
Listen to the FULL 64-minute AVALON podcast episode, “Hey Farley, Let’s Try Something new episodes every Tuesday by becoming a subscriber. Just $10/month (or save with an annual plan).
Monthly: app.moonclerk.com/pay/3rgpnjplsh…
Annual: app.moonclerk.com/pay/66zphi7fpi…
More information regarding EP 57 can be found here: aboveavalon.com/avalonepisodes…
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