The 13 biggest Apple disappointments of 2018 (AAPL)

• Apple is one of the biggest, most valuable, and most beloved tech companies in the world.
• Still, not everything the company debuted in 2018 lived up to expectations.
• We highlighted the most disappointing moments from Apple in 2018.

SEE ALSO: I've used the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR — here's which one I'd recommend buying

DON'T MISS: The Steve Jobs guide to manipulating people and getting what you want

1. Apple hiked prices on just about everything.

Apple bumped up the starting prices of many of its most popular products in 2018, compared to 2017:

• The starting price of the newest and most affordable iPhone increased by $50.
• The starting price of the newest and most affordable Apple Watch increased by $70.
• The starting price of an iPad Pro increased by $150.
• The starting price of the MacBook Air increased by $200.
• The starting price of the Mac Mini increased by $300.

Apple creates great value in every product it makes, but the price hikes for these particular products, this year, were not justified.

2. Apple killed the iPhone SE, its smallest and most affordable iPhone.

In 2017, the cheapest iPhone you could get from Apple was the $350 iPhone SE.

In 2018, Apple removed that phone from its lineup.

Now, the cheapest iPhone you can buy is the iPhone 7, which starts at $449.

The iPhone 7 is still an incredible phone, but it's a shame that Apple no longer makes phones as small as the iPhone SE.

3. Apple released its first HomePod speaker, which showed just how far behind it is compared to Google and Amazon.

Apple's HomePod speaker, which debuted in February, has brilliant sound.

But there is a list of things the HomePod can't do:

• It won’t do a great job answering random questions like rival devices
• It doesn’t work with Android phones
• It doesn’t work well with other music services besides Apple Music
• It can’t be hooked up to another device with an auxiliary cord

Keep in mind: The HomePod costs $350, while rival smart speakers cost a fraction of that.

It has a beautiful design, but the HomePod is still very much in version 1.0.