(Preview) New iPhones and an Absence of Awe, How Oracle Wins in the AI Era, Questions on MidJourney, Meta, and Armageddon

Thoughts on Apple's new generation of iPhones—which are genuinely exciting—and why the underwhelmed reaction from fans and analysts reflects choices that Apple made a long time ago and a new direction that lowers the ceiling on any release. From there: Mail on Apple's messaging and the competition in China, Oracle's strategy in the AI era, Midjourney and Meta, the strategic logic (or not) of Reality Labs investments, whether and how Netflix could attempt a Disney-ification (at the Sphere? via acquisition?), and a message to the Armageddon heretics.

To email the show: email@sharptech.fm

@SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube

@Stratechery Channel — YouTube

iPhones 17 and the Sugar Water Trap — Stratechery

Oracle stock gains 36% to post best day since 1992, adding $244 billion in value — CNBC

Ellison Tops Musk as World’s Richest Man After $101 Billion Gain — Bloomberg

An Interview with Midjourney Founder David Holz about Generative AI, VR, and Silicon Valley — Stratechery Interview

Get all episodes of Sharp Tech, Sharp China, Stratechery Updates and Interviews, Greatest of All Talk, Asianometry and the Dithering Podcast as part of Stratechery Plus for $15/month or $150/year.