At the Code Conference on Wednesday, iTunes chief Eddy Cue said Apple's upcoming product lineup for 2014 is the best he's seen in 25 years of working for the company.
Apple SVP of Internet Software and Services Eddy Cue at the 2014 Code Conference. | Source: Re/code
Without giving away any details, Cue told Re/code's Walt Mossberg that Apple's product pipeline for the remainder of 2014 is primed to be one of the best on record. Apple has yet to release a substantial refresh to any of its existing product lines this year, let alone something ground-breaking.
"Later this year, we've got the best product pipeline that I've seen in my 25 years at Apple," Cue said.
Expectedly, the Apple executive was tight-lipped and gave no hints as to what the company has in store for its customers. Mossberg, perhaps rightfully skeptical of Cue's statement, asked how the pipeline could be better than Apple's recent product hits, including the iPhone, iPad, MacBook and iMac, among others.
"I believe the products we've got coming are great," Cue replied.
In an amusing aside, Beats co-founder Jimmy Iovine, who was also onstage to talk about Apple's recent acquisition of his company, pointed out he was excited to finally get access to Apple's secret projects after years of visiting Cupertino.
"I get to see it tomorrow," Iovine said. "When I go there they put tarps on everything. I'm not kidding."
The public may catch its first glimpse of the touted pipeline at this year's Worldwide Developers Conference that kicks off next Monday. One well-connected analyst predicts Apple will launch a cheaper iMac and 8GB iPhone 5s at WWDC 2014, with an outside chance that the company's expected iOS 8 presentation may offer clues to the much rumored iWatch.
With 2014 nearly half over, however, Apple will need to roll out a slew of amazing devices in the next six months to meet the expectations Cue set today.