The iPhone has more screens! The MacBook has a touchscreen! The HomeView does CarPlay apps! For the first time in a long time, Apple is in a period of unabashed gadget experimentation, and while the final results aren’t always perfect, it’s fun to watch the most successful product maker try some new things again. Even when, in this case, “trying” amounts to just slapping a touch panel on a lovely new MacBook Pro – just to see if you might use it. On this episode of The Vergecast, David and Nilay debate the merits of a touchscreen laptop, Nilay explains why he is absolutely positively going to buy the new MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display, and they ponder whether Apple’s latest foray into gadgetry will leave us all either enlightened or slightly bewildered. The excitement, however, may be a bit premature, as the practicality of these innovations is still up for debate.

First, let’s tackle the touchscreen MacBook. While it sounds futuristic, is it really necessary? The MacBook’s keyboard and trackpad have been praised for decades for their tactile feedback and precision. Adding a touchscreen might make the interface more intuitive for some, but at the cost of potentially sacrificing the beloved MacBook feel. Plus, how often will users actually need to touch the screen instead of using the keyboard and trackpad? It’s like adding a third wheel to a perfectly functioning two-wheeler.

Next, the iPhone with more screens. Apple loves to tout its iterative improvements, and more screens could mean more notifications or better multitasking. But are we really ready for a folding, screen-splitting iPhone? The durability of such designs is a concern—will the screens survive the daily grind of being tossed in bags and banged against surfaces? And let’s not forget the battery drain; more screens mean more power consumption. It’s like adding extra layers to a winter coat; it looks good, but you’ll feel the extra weight when you’re moving fast.

The HomeView doing CarPlay apps is another highlight. It’s a neat idea to extend CarPlay to a home dashboard, making navigation and entertainment seamless. However, how many people actually need or will use this feature? CarPlay is already a staple in many cars, so extending it to the home might feel like a stretch. Plus, the integration might be a bit clunky initially—imagine trying to adjust your home settings while driving, only to realize the HomeView app is still loading.

In conclusion, Apple’s current gadget experimentation is undeniably fun and full of potential, but it also risks overstretching the company’s strengths. The touchscreen MacBook, multi-screen iPhones, and HomeView CarPlay apps are all promising, yet they may be more style than substance. As Apple continues to innovate, it will be interesting to see which of these experiments stick and which become the tech world’s equivalent of a trendy but ultimately forgettable fashion statement. With Apple’s track record, we can expect some hits and misses, but the journey itself is what makes the tech world so delightful.