That said, I was surprised to see a new platform. Wasn't the XF supposed to be the future-proof "forever platform" less than 3 years ago?
The word "platform" here is a bit amorphous and potentially confusing.
In short, the XF was developed with lots of spare power, compute ability, and hardware components to allow them to pursue feature additions, compatibility with future backs, viewfinders, and lenses as far out as they could roadmap/imagine**
It was, in fact, the experience of making the XF that made the IQ1/2/3 feel a bit underpowered and under-future-proofed, and warranted the major overhaul of the IQ known as the IQ4.
The XF, of course, is not only compatible with the IQ4, it was, in a very real sense, designed for the IQ4. Some of the capabilities of, and ideas for, the XF can only be pursued now that the IQ4 is out. In turn many of the already-implemented ideas and future-slated ideas for the IQ4 would not have been possible without the XF.
So in summary (and without using the word "platform")...
Before Tuesday: The XF had a lot of headroom for feature updates and future components, but the IQ3 platform was more-or-less maxed out
As of Tuesday: The XF has a lot of headroom for feature updates and future components and the IQ4 platform has lots of headroom for feature updates and future components.
*I personally really hate the term future proof. I hope that was not used in any of the articles I wrote, but if it was it was only out of a lack of imagination and attention.
Nothing is future proof. You should always substitute "future proof" in any marketing material with something more like "designed with meaningful consideration to the near and mid term future of the product". The
best you can hope for is that a piece of tech lasts (in a competitive and useful way) for a decade or two rather than a year or two. Still, that difference can offer a tremendous value to the user.
**Which is not to say forever. But there are plenty of ideas floating around P1 R+D about what kinds of backs, lenses, viewfinders, and accessories they might want to make in the coming years, and some decent ideas of what the XF would need to have in it in order to facilitate those future components.