A lot of academic papers actually aren't all that great, for a variety of reasons. Normally, you can use citations, journal, and author credentials to get a sense of whether a paper is even worth skimming. The only "paper" on the "journal" right now looks like it's just a watered-down, html-only version of https://arxiv.org/abs/1612.07828!
Seems like more of a PR stunt than anything useful, but who knows.
But in the sense that Apple is notoriously tight-lipped about research, it's a notable PR stunt. Unlike with Microsoft and Google, you don't see a lot of Apple in academic research circles despite them having a significant brain-share. Love them or hate them, Apple is a powerhouse and the (undoubtedly amazing) research happening behind the scenes could do a huge amount of good with just a bit more visibility.
Seems like more of a PR stunt than anything useful, but who knows.