In an opinion piece for 404 Media, Matthew Gault argues that Apple has entered its "slop era ," abandoning its reputation for innovative hardware in favor of recycled ideas and questionable design choices. Here's an excerpt: My ears perked up when I heard Apple's new foldable phones were cracking . I licked my lips when the company announced it's releasing a touch-screen laptop . This was a company that once charged $19 for a polishing cloth, asked $200 for a VESA mount, and sold $700 wheels for the Mac Pro. Now it's borrowing tired ideas from its competitors and launching hardware its previous leaders rejected .

The once dominant company is struggling to find its feet in an AI-driven post-Tim Cook world .…