The much-vaunted Apple launch on Thursday met an underwhelming response, a massive turnaround for a company once lauded as the biggest innovator in smartphone technology.

Apple announced a host of innovations at its first in-person launch event since the pandemic, including a new iPhone.

But considering Apple product launches once revealed exciting new design features such as touchscreens and Face ID, this event’s debut of a better camera, new notch design, and satellite-enabled emergency calls received an apathetic response from commentators.

Outside of paid advertisement posts for the new releases, many have poked fun at the iPhone 14’s relatively minor changes and high cost.

Eve Jobs, daughter of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, even weighed in by reposting a meme slamming the copy-and-paste style of the latest iPhone release.

Apple stagnation fails to impress

Ritesh Chugh, a Central Queensland University associate professor specialising in technology, said Apple has found itself playing catch-up to its competitors, particularly Samsung, which now stands out from the crowd thanks to its foldable smartphone range.

‘‘Whether it’s catching up with the operating system, whether it’s catching up on the photographic processing, there’s really nothing new to lure customers to buying [Apple] devices,’’ Dr Chugh said.

The lack of big changes to the phone design becomes an even bigger issue when you take into account the ‘‘eye-watering’’ price tags attached, he said.

Available for pre-order on September 9, prices for the iPhone 14 start from $1399, and the iPhone 14 Pro from $1749.

The lack of bang for buck is even more apparent when comparing the different iPhone 14 series models; those who can afford the Pro will get to enjoy a better camera, an ‘always-on’ display, a new bionic chip, more battery life, and a ‘dynamic island’ interface where you can control your music, phone calls and GPS in place of the small patch of screen previously covered by a notch.

‘‘While their newer phones provide improved cameras, processors and battery specifications, the prices are … quite high. And the specifications are only playing catch-up,’’ Dr Chugh said.

Apple also ceased including chargers and earphones in new iPhone packaging in 2020, potentially adding extra costs for customers.

Loyalty stays strong

Despite the lacklustre response to the tech giant’s latest offering, Dr Chugh said Apple isn’t likely to lose any long-time customers who have grown attached to the brand after years of use.

‘‘Apple users are emotionally attached to the brand,’’ he said.

‘‘So we will still see those queues when the phone is launched, because it’s about who gets the phone first, and that emotional attachment is often difficult to break.’’

He said security is also another big factor for consumers, with a 2021 Apple report finding Android phones are 47 times more likely to carry malware than iPhones.