For those obsessed with the annual refresh of shiny devices, this week's Apple event appeared to be an iPhone 11 device roll-out. But that's not the big story.
The more retail and real-world experiences that Apple captures as part of its user experience, the more loyal their Apple Card customers will be.
Bury the bad blood and pass the ketchup: Not a merger, but a 10-year (at least) strategic agreement to integrate the two companies' respective platforms and technologies. Imagine Siri with the back-end capabilities of Cortana or Apple Watch with Azure's machine learning services.
I should be extremely grateful for this technology -- and I am. But I know these devices have more potential.
All of these small, iterative improvements are nice, but they aren't particularly compelling, especially if you have an iPhone XS or an XR.
Wallets and plastic cards have become an unnecessary burden. Apple Card can replace them all - if Apple invites Android.
It's time to take the Upgrade Program to the next level. The monthly price would include all-you-can-eat Apple.
The Mac and MacOS are not going to die, but for the balance of its customers, Apple has very clearly has chosen its successor.
If we are going to bust open the castle walls with the proverbial antitrust dragon, then we will need the right tools and services in order to reduce any possible end-user carnage.
A unified competitive response by the tech giants is required in order to counter the Apple Card from potentially monopolizing the future of the smart wallet and mobile payments industry.